Bring Me To Life
by Xxx-Aka-Ketsueki-xxX
Summary: Naruto falls into depression when he does something he'll never forgive himself for. As he begins to slowly throw his life away, someone unexpected gives him a wake up call and helps him get back onto the right path. Rated M for language, and adult/sexual themes. Following the same plot and setting as 'Broken'.
1. Chapter 1

Naruto flinched as he downed yet another shot of the bar's strongest liquor. He hadn't even paid much attention to how much his liver was begging him to stop his abuse, being that his heart was in much greater pain. As he looked down at the wood of the counter, he became enchanted with how much everything seemed to move around, even though he was sitting completely still.

The bartender looks at him and sighs. He's seen some pretty impressive drinkers in his years at bar-tending this place, but he didn't know anyone who could take fifteen shots of his hardest stuff like this kid. And Naruto was a minor, at that. Here, the rule is that the word 'teen' cannot be in the number of your age in order for them to buy drinks. And Naruto is sixteen. At the other bar across the village, anyone sixteen and up could drink. But this one was for adults that had a bit more mileage in life. He had refused to let him buy anything at first, but Naruto insisted that he had money, and needed to drink. If it wasn't for the look in his eyes that the bartender saw, Naruto probably wouldn't even be here. He saw that the kid had been through something, and he could really use a drink.

"Another." Naruto slurred, finding that his tongue went numb from the chemicals he consumed. The bartender sighed again.

"Kid, if you have another drink, you'll match your age. I think you've had enough." He says, looking at Naruto sympathetically from across the counter. Naruto looked up at him with a minor glare, finding it hard to focus his eyes on him.

"I'm fine, jus' gimme 'nother one." Naruto commanded, extending his hand out as if the bartender would just hand him the whole bottle.

The clerk shook his head, "Sorry kid, I'm not giving you another one. I shouldn't have even given you one. So why not just go home and stay there for the rest of the night before you do something you'll regret."

Before Naruto could reply, the bartender walked away to serve someone else.

"Asshole." Naruto spat. He rubbed his eye and felt how dizzy he became from doing such a simple action. He almost fell off of his stool. Despite the clerk refusing to give him another drink, he knew that he was right. Naruto is fucked up. He needs to get home now, but decides to wait until some of the alcohol dissipates from his system. If he tried to go home now, he'd fall all over the place.

He turned around in his seat and overlooked the whole bar. There wasn't many people here, considering how it's a Monday night. Most people are probably preparing to go to bed right about now.

Soon, he spotted someone he knew. Since the alcohol had greatly affected his ability to think clearly, he couldn't think of her name. He looked at the posterior of the woman with nothing but fishnet, an orange skirt, and a bra on. She was bending over one of the pool tables to reach across and hit a cue ball with her cue stick.

It was then that lust started corrupting Naruto's body. The position she was in... It was hypnotic. He still couldn't remember her name, even as he looked at her purple spiky hair that was tied in a weird upside-down ponytail.

Anko. That's what her name was, Naruto remembered, almost saying it out loud. He never lusted over Anko before, nor many other girls, but right now, he was eying Anko's body down like a starving lion that just spotted a disabled fat person. Anko's legs were nicely toned and smooth-looking. Her butt was being pushed out from the position she's in, and even though Anko had enough decency to wear black, skin-tight shorts underneath, Naruto could see under her skirt. Her cheeks were round and firm, and looked as if they could fit perfectly in his hands...

Anko then moved to the side of the pool table, giving him a profile view of her whole body. Her breasts looked just as wonderful as her backside. Her waist was thin with a flat stomach, which showed a slight toning of abs. He noticed how she wasn't wearing her trench coat like she usually does, but saw it hanging on a rack which was close to her table.

He never noticed until now how hot Anko looked to him. He didn't think that the alcohol had anything to do with how his mind is working right now, though.

He saw Anko bend over again, and saw how nice the arch in her back looked...

Naruto surrendered to his sultry thoughts, and let his body move on auto-pilot.

Next thing he knew, Naruto was standing. Behind Anko.

With both of his hands full of ass.

Then, he was on the floor.

Everything had happened so fast. It seemed like two seconds ago, he was still sitting at the bar, checking Anko out as she practiced her billiards skills. Now, he's on his back, with what felt like pressure on his right cheek. Anko punched him, but the alcohol numbed his sense to feel anything.

He rose up, and saw Anko staring down at him with a face that even death himself couldn't make.

"Are you fucking stupid?" Anko asked. She didn't yell, but her tone was not a friendly one.

Naruto only stared, holding the cheek Anko had struck with a lot of force. Did he really grab Anko's ass? Was he _that_ drunk?

"I, uh..." Naruto mumbled. He didn't know what to say.

Anko became frustrated with his lack of intelligence and grabbed the front of his coat.

Now, Naruto found himself face to face with Anko.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now." Anko ordered.

Naruto looked at her. Then he began chuckling. Man, was he fucked up.

"Guess I don't have one. So maybe you should kill me, I deserve it anyway."

Naruto didn't feel he deserved death because of what happened a minute ago. But because of what happened yesterday.

Anko was confused by his answer. She had expected him to beg and whine like a little bitch, giving her pathetic reasons why she should let him free, drunk or not. And his breath smelled like the inside of a full liquor bottle.

In the years she's been to this bar, she could tell apart the three different types of drunks that existed here:

There was the type of drunk that most people got to just feel good, one that was mostly a happy kind of intoxication. The person would usually be here on weekends, not so much to celebrate, but to just have fun and maybe hook up with someone.

There was also the kind of drunk that's much like the first one, but much more happier. The person under this kind of intoxication would usually be celebrating something, like to celebrate a promotion to becoming a Jounin. This kind of drunk would be here every once in a while, usually with a group of friends or comrades.

Then there was Naruto's kind of drunk. A kind of drunk that can be confused with simply getting too drunk and acting stupid, unless you've had years of dealing with people, like Anko. This kind of intoxication is a sad one. Usually, a person would be like this when he or she suffered a loss, like a death of a friend or family member. This person would drown their sorrow and misery in strong amounts of alcohol, hoping to get their mind off of it. While this would work temporarily, usually a person would go back to feeling even more shitty the next day. And as a result, the person will be back here everyday until they've gotten over their loss, or until they've died as a result of alcohol poisoning or just throwing their life away in general.

This was the worst and most dangerous kind of drunk, and it baffled Anko how Naruto could be in such a state. She knew Naruto must have suffered from something, but even though she doesn't know him well, she would have never suspected someone as continuously happy and motivated as him to drink his sorrows away like this.

She looked at him, studying his features. He had bags underneath his eyes. Yep, he's been crying. A lot, too. She then looks around and can see the few people in the bar looking at them both, waiting to see how she'll deal with him.

She could just fuck him up right here, right now. He grabbed her ass, so a good ass kicking was definitely necessary in her opinion.

But for some reason, Anko decided not to. She could see that life already gave him a good ass kicking, and piling another one onto that would just be wrong.

She dropped him, and Naruto fell back onto his posterior. She placed the pool stick that was in her other hand on the pool table and put on her trench coat.

"Come on." Anko called, heading toward the exit.

Naruto was confused. Anko stopped at the door and looked back at him.

"I said lets go. Get off your ass, and come with me."

Naruto still wondered what she was up to, but decided to do as she said. He stumbled to his feet and shakily followed Anko out of the bar.

* * *

Anko had to almost literally drag him to where they were going. But soon, Naruto found himself inside an apartment, which he could only assume was Anko's home.

"Take a seat." She told him, as she walked in a different direction while taking her trench coat off. Naruto spotted a couch a few feet away and did as he was told. He wondered what Anko was going to do. Were they going to have sex? Was she going to literally kill him? Shockingly, Naruto wouldn't have a problem with either scenarios.

Anko then came back and sat next to him on the couch. She leaned back and sat her feet up on the coffee table in front of her.

"What happened?" She asked in a tone that barely sounded like a question. She wasn't looking at him and had a somewhat bored expression on her face.

Naruto chuckled drunkenly, "Well, I was hoping you'd answer that for me. I can barely remember what happened in the past ten minutes."

"Not that, you idiot." Anko responded. "What happened with you? Why were you at a place like that, getting wasted off your ass?" This time she was looking at him.

Naruto shrugged, "Maybe I just wanted a good time." He then looked at Anko seductively, but due to the alcohol, he looked a lot more stupid than he thought. "So... Are we going to have a good time?"

Anko stared at him with disgust, but had no sign of shock. "In your dreams." She saw him creeping closer to her. She grabbed his neck. "And if you touch me again, I'll definitely kill you this time around."

Naruto could only chuckle once Anko let go of his neck. She was annoyed now.

"Listen, I know something bad happened to you recently. You wouldn't be in that bar otherwise. So tell me what happened."

Anko had to wait until Naruto's chuckles died down, "I have no heart." He responded, still chuckling lightly.

Anko raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

"I said, I no longer have a heart. It got ripped out of my chest."

She was about to ask him if he meant that in a literal sense, but it wouldn't make sense. He probably wouldn't be here breathing otherwise.

"Oh, so you're heartbroken?"

Naruto nodded, "I guess you could say that." He then stood up, "Do you have anything to drink around here?" It didn't take much to know that he was talking about alcohol.

"Sit down." Anko said. Naruto was still chuckling, a faint blush tainting his cheeks. He sat back down.

"So who's the girl that dumped you?" She asked blatantly. Naruto's laughter started to increase.

"I didn't get dumped."

Anko rose an eyebrow again, "But you said you were heartbroken."

"I am."

"So..."

Naruto might as well say it so he can get to the point. He looked at Anko with unfocused eyes.

"I killed her."

Anko wasn't prepared for that answer. Now, Naruto went back to chuckling.

She tried to think of what he meant before replying, "...Killed her? You killed her because she broke up with you?"

Naruto laughed loudly at Anko's guess. "Silly woman." He slurred. "She never broke up with me 'cause we were never together."

Anko rubbed her forehead in frustration, "Well, can you be more clear? I'm trying to do you a favor and give you someone to talk to, but right now you're irritating me."

"Okay, okay, sorry." He apologized with a silly grin. "Alright... Do you know a girl named Sakura Haruno?"

Anko thought for a minute, "...The pink haired girl that works at the hospital?"

"Worked." Naruto replied. "But yes, her. I was in love with her."

Anko nodded, "Isn't she your teammate, too?"

"Was."

Anko nodded. She understood now that Sakura was dead.

"So how did she die?"

"I killed her."

Anko paused, "Why?"

Naruto seemed to have stopped talking. Anko looked over at him and saw his face buried in his hands. She could hear his ragged breathing from him crying.

"...I didn't mean to..." He choked out, his voice sounding weird from both the crying and the liquor. "...She should have known to just stay away... Why did she have to come near me...?"

Despite Naruto sobbing, when he was just laughing a few minutes ago, Anko was looking at him, not entertained.

"So you killed her by accident. Hm. And how exactly did this happen?"

Naruto sniffled and wiped his puffy eyes, "I'm pretty sure you know about the fucking demon I have sealed inside me..."

Anko nodded, "I do."

"I was on a mission with her, and we faced Orochimaru."

Anko didn't show it externally, but had a mini rampage in her mind upon hearing his name.

"He was saying some things that got to me, then I... I blacked out. Yamato-sensei told me that I had gone into this state where if I get really mad, the Kyuubi's chakra comes out and takes over my body somewhat. It's happened before, but this time was the worst it's ever gotten."

Anko nodded, signaling for him to continue.

"I lost control of my actions... I was so mad, I... I didn't even know what I was doing until I woke up..." He buried his face in his hands again. "O-Once I woke up, I asked Yamato-sensei what happened... He told me that I grew four tails into the Kyuubi state... Then I looked around and asked where Sakura was... And you wanna know where she was?"

"Dead?"

Naruto shook his head, "No, she was next to me, dying. Bleeding. Yamato-sensei told me that I came at her like a wild animal once I looked at her..."

Anko still had the same calm expression she had when Naruto first began explaining.

"We rushed to the hospital to try and save her, but we were too late..." His sobs had increased quite a bit, and it stopped him from further dialogue for a minute. "I sat by her death bed the whole time, despite the doctors telling me to leave. I kept pleading, begging for her to forgive me... It was a mistake, and I was just hoping it was a bad dream..."

Anko's face held no signs of pity. She was just listening, as if he was telling her how his day went.

"You wanna know what she said to me, right before passing on...?"

Anko shrugged, "Sure."

"She told me... She loves me. And she forgives me."

Anko shrugged again, "Well that's good, right? She understands that it was a mistake and that you didn't mean to do it. And she gave you her forgiveness for it."

"But I can't fucking forgive myself!" Naruto burst at the top of his lungs. Anko was slightly surprised by his sudden outburst. She looked at him, and could see that his irises had turned blood red. "It's not like I fucking tripped her by accident! She's dead! Because of me! The fucking love of my life is dead, and I was the one who gave her death!"

Anko raised her eyebrow at him, still not moving from her seat, even as Naruto was less than five inches away from her face. Despite Anko's lack of pity, she knew to choose her next words wisely. If she were to say the wrong thing right now, he might go berserk. She knew the Kyuubi was strong, and she didn't want to end up like Sakura.

"Listen, sit down, calm down, and relax." She told him. "Getting mad at me will get you nowhere."

Despite the lingering anger, not so much at Anko, but at himself, he sat back down and put his face back into his hands.

"...I want to kill myself..." Naruto said. "I killed my teammate, my friend, and my crush. I don't want to go to heaven, either. I don't know if I'd be able to face her there..."

"Stop being a little bitch."

Naruto halted every action and let Anko's words sink into his ear. He looked a her with an intense glare.

"What?"

She looked him straight in the eye, "You heard me. I said stop being a little bitch-boy crybaby. Buy a ladder from the store around the corner, and get the fuck over yourself."

Naruto rose to attack Anko. But due to his intoxication, Anko easily maneuvered herself out of his way, leaving Naruto to fall on the floor on his stomach. Before he could get up, Anko pounced on top of him, trapping him under her weight.

In this position, Anko's lips were lined up right with his ear.

"Oh, so now you're angry at me? Do you want to kill me, too?"

Naruto fought to get free, but Anko had him pinned down. Soon, a bubbly red cloak started surrounding Naruto. He was growling. Anko wasn't scared, however.

"Anko... **Get... The fuck... Off of me...**" Naruto muttered through his clenched teeth. Anko knew to let him go now. The Kyuubi was giving him more strength, and she knew she wouldn't be able to hold him much longer.

Anko got off, and stood up. Naruto turned around and was on all fours.

Behind him, waved two red, slightly transparent fox tails.

The killing intent and foulness of the chakra that was radiating off of him was bothering Anko, but she still held her ground.

"If you think killing me will make you feel better, go ahead and do it. I wont stop you." She said with crossed arms.

Naruto lunged at her at incredible speeds.

A second later, Anko's vision was blocked by a sharp clawed hand, which was less than two centimeters away from her face. She still had crossed arms, and didn't move an inch.

Naruto was _this_ close to killing her where she stood. But the cloak around him, along with his two tails, had slowly receded.

**"I can't kill you..."** Naruto muttered. "I can't kill yet another comrade because of my anger."

"That's what I thought." Anko huffed.

Naruto sat back down on the couch and gripped at his hair in frustration.

"Listen." Anko told him, "I said what I said to get you mad and see if you were really willing to kill me."

"And I just wanna let you know that you're insane for doing that." Naruto said.

"I know," she responded with a grin. "But I still meant what I said. You need to get the fuck over yourself. You're being a little bitch, and it's getting you nowhere."

"Anko," Naruto blinked and his eyes turned purple, "It pisses me off every time you say that."

"You're not getting pissed off at what I'm saying, you're getting pissed off at how I'm saying it. But most of all, you're getting pissed because on the inside, you know it's true." She told him. Naruto sighed. He had no argument against that.

"So... What am I supposed to do...?"

Anko chuckled bitterly, "If I have to say it one more time, I'm going to slap the shit out of you." She shook her head and held up three fingers. "Three words. Get. Over. Yourself."

"But I fucking killed my teammate!" Naruto shouted. "Do you expect me to get over something like that right away?!"

"Of course not." She answered. "You killed someone very close to you, and you can't forgive yourself over it. I understand that, and it's probably going to take a while, maybe forever, for you to get over something like that."

"You're contradicting what you just said."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are. You're rushing me to get over it, but now you're saying that it may take forever to get over it." Naruto shook his head. "You're not making any sense."

Anko chuckled bitterly again, "If you were actually listening to what I'm saying, it would make sense to you. You've misquoted me; I said that it may take you forever to get over the death of Sakura, and the fact that you were the one who killed her. But I'm also telling you to get over _yourself_. There's a difference between the two."

"How?"

"Look at you." Anko said. "You're a fucking mess. You've damn near killed your liver today. The alcohol is making you do stupid shit, like grabbing my ass, which, by the way, I've let you slide with, so you should feel _extremely_ lucky right now." She says. "You're throwing your life away, and that's not going to solve anything. You need to get a grip. It's okay to feel angry and sad over what happened, but destroying yourself, wishing death to send you to Hell is just pathetic. Don't you want to become Hokage?"

"Yeah..." Naruto mumbled.

"So go ahead and do it. You wont become Hokage if you're dead. You're usually a happy, motivated guy that, even though has thousands of villagers and shinobi hating and doubting him, was determined enough to prove them wrong and have everyone look up to you. And honestly, it's sickening and pisses me off to see you like this. Acting like a little crybaby. I'm so tempted to shove a pacifier in your mouth to shut you up, it's not even funny. You need to grow a pair of balls, be a man, and continue on with life. Like I said, it's okay to cry, and it's okay to be angry with yourself, despite the fact that it wasn't even entirely your fault. I'm not saying that forgiving yourself right now will be an easy thing to do, but sitting here, letting liquor slowly kill you is just retarded. What would Sakura think of you if she saw you like this? It pisses _me_ off to see you like this, and we're not even close as friends, so imagine how she would feel."

Naruto let all of Anko's words sink in, "B-But..."

"B-But..." Anko mocked. "There's nothing else to say. Get over yourself. Today. If after today, you're still like this, I'm going to fuck you up. Seriously. I know I sound harsh, but I'm not the type to baby anyone. This is life, Naruto. Bad things happen all the time, and we make mistakes that we'll regret and will even haunt us for the rest of our lives. But in order to be strong, you have to be able to continue on no matter what. The only way I want to see you die is if you go down fighting, not because you simply gave up like a little punk. You're not going to become Hokage with this attitude, so I highly suggest that you get on your feet, buck up, learn from what happened and move on."

"..." Naruto had nothing to say. She was absolutely right, about everything. However, he still felt sad and angry.

Anko saw the look on his face and sighed, "I know what you're thinking. You can't do everything I just said right now. But you can change your attitude. Do you still want to die because of what happened?"

Naruto had to think about it, "...Not as much as I used to."

Anko rolled her eyes, "Well, that's a start. I know it's going to be hard, but you can do it. You're better than this. And I honestly believe that you can become Hokage one day. A great one, at that."

That may have been the nicest thing Anko said to Naruto today.

"Thanks..." Naruto said. He stood up on his two feet, but immediately regretted it, sitting back down. He was still drunk, and he stood up a bit too fast. He held his head and stood up much slower this time. "You're right, about everything."

"Of course I am." She responded, as if it were obvious.

Naruto smiled, "Thanks."

Anko grinned and shrugged, "Just promise me that we wont have to go through this again."

He nodded, "I promise."

Naruto stared at Anko with a faint smile for a few seconds.

"Um... Can I... Have a hug?"

Anko chuckled and stared at him, amused, "A hug?"

Naruto frowned slightly, "Well... If you don't want to..."

"Are you going to grab my ass again?"

Naruto shook his head, "No."

"Then come here."

Anko opened her arms, and Naruto walked in them. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, while Anko did the same.

It felt good. To be consoled like this, despite the slightly abusive discussion Anko had with him a few minutes ago.

"Hey, Anko?"

"Hm?"

"Why do you care?"

Anko paused for a second, "Because we're not that different, you and I. When I first met you, there was something about you that told me to keep an eye out for you. To make sure you didn't do stupid shit, if I had the chance. If it were anyone else, I would have just beat the hell out of you for grabbing my ass, and kept it moving. But, I don't know... You have something special about you that's hard to explain." She then laughs. "I guess you can say I kinda like you. And it's funny, because I only like a handful of people."

Naruto was content with this answer. He hugged her tighter, and Anko played with his blonde hair.

"Listen, do you want to spend the night here?" Anko asked. Naruto leaned his head back to look at her. She saw his facial expression and rolled her eyes with a smirk. "No, I don't mean it like that. I know you probably are still hurt, so I'm offering a chance for you to not be alone for one night. You don't have to accept, I'm just saying."

"Sure, I'll sleep here." Naruto said. "Do you want me to sleep on the couch, or..." Naruto asked.

"No, you can sleep with me in my bed." She said. "The couch isn't that comfortable, and you'd probably feel better sleeping next to someone." She then grins. "We're not fucking, though. So don't get too happy."

Naruto blushed a bit, "Er... Okay, gotcha..." He mumbled. A few seconds of awkwardness passed before he spoke again, "Ah, what time is it?"

Anko looked out her window, "I dunno, like, two hours past midnight?"

"It's that late?" He asks incredulously.

"Mm-hmm. So why not get in the shower and get ready for bed. You smell like sweat and booze, so you're not coming in my bed smelling like that." She tells him.

"Do you have anything I can change into?"

"My panties are okay?"

Anko laughed at the face he made, "Just kidding. Just use those same boxers you have on. You didn't shit, piss, or cum in them, right?"

Naruto always felt uncomfortable with how blatantly Anko spoke most of the time, "Uh, no..."

"Good."

"What about a pair of pajamas or something? Do you want me to go to my house and-?"

"Oh hush, just sleep in your boxers, I know you've done it before."

"Er, not while I'm sharing a bed with someone else, though..."

Anko chuckled and shook her head, "Geez, it's not a big deal. As long as you keep your hands and penis to yourself, I wouldn't even care if you slept in my bed naked." Anko spoke again before Naruto could say something, "I'm lying, I _would_ care if you did that." She said flatly. "So hurry up and get in the shower, 'cause I'm getting in after you."

"Alright."

* * *

Soon, both Anko and Naruto were properly showered and were in the bed together. All the lights were turned off, and the only source of light came from the moon that looked over the village.

"Goodnight." Anko said. She was wearing a bra, a pair of panties and sweatpants to bed, something that made Naruto blush. He decided not to say anything about it, though.

"Goodnight." Naruto replied. He was shirtless, since the shirt he wore smelled like armpits, something Anko wasn't happy with. All he had on was boxers, just as Anko requested.

The blonde boy was on his back, about to doze off when Anko broke the personal space barrier and snuggled her head and arm atop of his chest. She also had a leg on top of his. She felt him tense up, causing her to laugh lightly.

"Never cuddled with a girl before?"

"N-No..."

"Well, do you want me to get off you?"

Naruto thought for a second, "Not if you don't want to..."

She rolled her eyes, "Well, I want to cuddle. You have a nice body, by the way." She told him.

"Thanks?" He replied. He wasn't sure if Anko was flirting with him or not.

Anko chuckled, "But like I said, we're not having sex. So don't get any funny ideas. I'm just helping you feel better."

"Gotcha."

"So you're good?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Now goodnight."

"Goodnight."

With that, Anko and Naruto fell asleep peacefully.


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: Thank you guys for all the feedback you gave me. I'm glad to see that most of you enjoyed the recent chapter. :) And from now on, in the beginning of every chapter in both this story and 'Broken', I will respond to reviews or questions that I feel should be addressed to, if I receive any for that particular chapter.**_

_Doom Marine 54 - "That was fucking stupid, you don't tell someone who just murdered their friend and loved one to get over it, what a rushed and sloppy way to resolve the issue. Learn more about people before you try to right a character piece."_

_**My response - Um... One cannot simply 'right' a character piece. Lol. I'm just kidding, I know what you meant. But I thank you for your criticism. However, I feel that you missed a few points in the story. First off, the way I would have addressed Naruto's issue in this story is not the same way Anko did in the last chapter. So when you say **'you don't tell someone who murdered their friend and loved one to get over it'**, it wasn't me that said it, I was capturing my view of Anko's persona and putting her response into the story. Secondly, Anko wasn't rushing Naruto to get over the death of Sakura, she was basically telling him to get over himself, and to handle the situation better, rather than throwing his life away pathetically. I made sure that she stated that in the story, as well. And third, when you say '**learn more about people before you try to 'right' a character piece'**, are you suggesting that all people are like Anko and Naruto, who are fictional characters in an anime, who are also ninja that hop around at insane speeds, performing missions, and performing jutsu? I think I know a bit about modern day people, if I do say so myself. ****  
**_

_**And by the way, saying things like **__"That was fucking stupid," **makes your review sound a bit harsh and intimidating, don't you think? Don't get me wrong, your review in no way affects or will affect me emotionally. I welcome all criticism; I use and have used it to shape me into the writer that I am today by trying to see the story through your eyes and looking it over from there. And I completely understand that this is your opinion. But I think most people would agree that your review sounds a little... hostile. Like you're angry at what I wrote or something. I could be wrong, and I'm not accusing you of anything, but that's just my opinion on the review in general. However, I still thank you for your insight on that chapter and look forward to reading any concerns or criticism that you may post in the future. :)**_**  
**

* * *

Around Naruto, lingered an eerie echo of droplets of water hitting a water's surface. He also felt what felt like water around his feet and ankles.

Naruto knew where he was.

"Hi, Naruto-kun." Said a woman behind the cell in front of him. The first feaure of this woman was her firey-red hair. The second was her blood red eyes, with slitted, fox-like pupils. Featuring upon her gorgeous face was six whisker-like marks, three on each cheek. Her body and the kimono that fitted perfectly against it could easily strike envy into any woman that would see it.

Naruto sneered as she grinned at him, "Fuck off, Kyuubi. I really don't want to talk to you right now."

Kyuubi feined shock, "Naruto-kun...! I thought we've established a good relationship over the years!"

"Fuck you!" Naruto shouted, "It's because of you that Sakura-chan is dead! You killed her, you fucking bitch!"

Kyuubi grinned evilly, "So? And I'll do it again, gladly." Naruto was grinding his teeth now. "It was fun to rip her to shreds. It was more fun than that fight we had with Sasuke."

Just when Naruto was about to explode, he slowly managed to calm himself down. He was about to go berserk, but remembered what happened last time he let words like those get to him. There was still rage within him, just not beyond the surface.

Kyuubi saw this and thought that it'd be fun to pick on his nerves even more, "If it wasn't for that annoying jutsu that Yamato guy knows, I probably would have gotten to him next."

Naruto bit his tongue. He tried.

"Stop it!" He shouted, "I only gave you control to go after Orochimaru! Not my fucking teammates!"

Kyuubi rolled her eyes, "Oops?" She could see that this simple word made him begin to tremble with anger, "In my defense, I did manage to rough him up a bit. It's not my fault he got away."

Again, Naruto tried to calm himself down. It wasn't easy to ignore Kyuubi's words, let alone prevent them from striking his nerves.

"But you weren't supposed to hurt any allies, either." He said calmly with closed eyes.

The vixen raised an eyebrow, "And since when were you my master? Just because you contain me inside you, doesn't mean you have authority over me."

"But we had a deal."

"Deal?" She repeated, "No, no, what I said was that I'll take care of Orochimaru if you let me gain a bit of control. He got away, so I guess I didn't live up to my word." She shrugged, "Oh well. Still, you never said anything about me doing whatever I want once I had control."

Naruto took a very deep breath. Bottling in his anger was as easy as beating Tsunade in an arm wrestle.

"Even still, you took too much control! You didn't say that you were gonna take over like that."

"So I lied, big woop. And who's fault was it for even letting me gain that much control?" She asked with a teasing grin.

Naruto looked straight in her eyes, "Yours."

"Are you sure about that? Aren't you the almighty Naruto Uzumaki? You seemed to talk big when we first met. But now I feel like I could almost gain control whenever you want my power."

Naruto could hear the muscles in his jaw tightening up, "So how about I just never use your power again."

Kyuubi scoffed, "Please. We both know that you're shit without me and my power. You may think you're strong, but you're weak. Everything you've accomplished as a shinobi was thanks to me. You couldn't even beat Sasuke with my power, so how do you expect to get him back without it?"

Naruto remained quiet for a while. Every letter and word she sent his way was eating at him.

"I am strong..."

Kyuubi laughed at this, almost hysterically, "Are you kidding me? You can't even manage to hold me back when you get angry, and I'm in a fucking seal for crying out loud! It's like I said, you're weak without me. You need me. The only reason why I wasn't able to be free yesterday was because of that whore, Anko. I don't know how, but she snapped you out of that state you were in to let me convince you to let me free." She crossed her arms, "I was so close, too. But be that as it may, it doesn't change anything. You're still weak. My powers can give you the strength you need, however. All you have to do is-" she pointed at the middle of the cell, at the note attached to it, "-tear that stupid thing off. And I promise you, I can give you power beyond your wildest imagination."

Throughout Kyuubi's speech, Naruto's head was hanging so low, his bangs covered his eyes.

After a few seconds of silence, Naruto's breathing began to hitch, as if he were sobbing.

Then, just when Kyuubi was convince he was crying, Naruto raised his head, and a grin was shown on his features.

He wasn't crying. He was laughing.

"You must not know who I am, still." He said. Kyuubi narrowed her eyes at him.

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki. The Number One, Knuckleheaded shinobi of The Hidden Leaf Village. And if you think that I'll let some dumb slut of a fox convince me that I'm weak, you've got another thing coming."

She sneered.

"I'm am strong. Yeah, you may have helped me in the past, but that was because you had no choice. If I die, you're coming with me. You say that I need you, when the truth is, you need me. I may have my slip ups, and I may have trusted you when I shouldn't have before, but now I know never to do that again. You're the prisoner, and I'm the jailor. I'm using your powers to help me, and the fact that I am makes me stronger. However, since you're a kniving little bitch, I know now to use your powers only when I have to. I'm going to train, without using you. And I'm going to work on holding you back. I'll be damned if I'll let anyone, including you, keep me from becoming Hokage. Believe that shit, bitch."

Once Naruto finshed, Kyuubi slowly started to roll into fits of laughter. Her voice echoed throught the whole room.

"Ah, you sure got a lot of spunk, Naruto. I respect that. However, you'll see that no matter how hard you train, you won't be strong enough to achieve your dreams without using my power. It's only a matter of time. And until then, I'll be waiting for you to come back to me, and beg me to give you the strength you so desperately need." She taunted, stepping back into the shadows of the cell.

Naruto smirked, "We'll see, you dumb fox."

* * *

Naruto slowly started to drift back into reality, due to the spears of sunlight stabbing through his eyelids. He groggily raised himself up in the bed and rubbed his eye. He then held his head, as the blood in his head felt like it was pulsing, earning him mild pain.

He focused his eyes, and saw that he was not in his apartment. He was about to question why that was, until he remembered the events of what happened last night. He was in Anko's home.

He then faintly heard a toilet flush nearby, followed by the running water of an operating sink. He looked over once he saw a door open. It revealed Anko, who was still in her 'pajamas', which consisted of a slightly revealing black bra, along with a pair of navy blue sweatpants. Naruto had to try hard not to gawk at the cleavage of her amazing breasts.

She looks at him and grins, "Oh, finally awake?" She then chuckles a bit, "Got a hangover, huh?"

Naruto nodded painfully, "Yeah..." He answers, "What time is it?"

"A little past noon. You were out cold." She then heads into her kitchen, "You snore loudly in your sleep, by the way."

"Sorry." He apologized, as he moved, sitting on the side of her bed with both feet planted on the floor.

"It's okay, I do too." She says, "Sunny side up, or scrambled?"

"Huh?"

"Your eggs; you want them sunny side up, or scrambled?" She repeated.

"Oh, scrambled." He answered, "You're making breakfast for me?"

Anko shrugged, grabbing a few eggs from her fridge, "Yeah. It would be fucked up if I made myself breakfast without offering any for you." She then went into the fridge again and grabbed a cup. The door to the fridge was on Naruto's side, so he couldn't see what she was doing behind it. She closed it, and began walking toward him with a glass of orange juice.

"Here," she handed him the glass, along with two asprins, "I know you still probably have the taste of liquor on your tongue, and a killer headache."

He nodded, "Yeah, thanks." He said, taking the asprin along with the citric beverage. Anko walked back to the kitchen to resume her cooking.

"Um..." He mumbled after gulping down he last bit of juice, "I didn't wake you up in the middle of the night or anything, right?" He asked.

Anko shook her head, after grabbing butter and a pack of raw bacon out of the fridge, "Nah. I slept like a baby. You might find dry drool on your chest though."

Naruto looked down and saw that there was indeed dry saliva on his left pec. Anko gave him an innocent smile.

"My bad. I drool in my sleep, too."

Naruto felt awkward, "Er... It's fine..." He says, scratching the residue from off his skin.

"Hey, Naruto." She suddenly called, cracking the eggs and dropping the insides in the pan.

"Yeah?"

"Does anyone else besides us and Yamato know how your teammate died?"

A slight pain struck Naruto's heart as she said that. He wasn't mad at her for bringing it up though, his heart is just still very fragile.

"Um... No. I haven't told anyone, and Yamato promised not to tell anyone either."

"So what happened when you reported back to the Hokage?"

Naruto frowned, "I told Baa-chan that Orochimaru was the one that killed her..."

Anko nodded, now placing eight strips of bacon into the other pan, "I see. And what did she say?"

Naruto was about to answer, but if he had continued, he would have been majorly upset again, "I don't wanna talk about it."

The Jounin shrugged, "Fair enough."

* * *

Soon, they both ate the breakfast/lunch that Anko had served, and had cleaned themselves up. They were now dressed (with Naruto having to clean some of his odorly clothing), and ready for the day.

Anko put on her trench coat, "Come on."

"Where are we going?" Naruto asked.

"We're gonna train. It'll be a productive way to get your mind off of things." She answered, opening her front door.

Naruto nodded, and followed Anko out the door.

* * *

Anko took Naruto to The Forest of Death, the place where he had his first interaction with her. This was also where he first met Orochimaru, where he had gotten eaten by a snake for the first time, and where Sasuke started... changing. Becoming more power hungry.

He had to admit, coming back here, looking at that high fence with the barbwire on top gave him some nostalgic memories.

Anko looked at him and grinned, "Brings back memories, huh?"

Naruto nodded, "Yeah. More bad ones than good, though."

"Is meeting me for the first time one of the bad ones?" She teased.

Naruto chuckled, "No. But if you asked me that before yesterday, I'd probably have a different answer."

Anko laughed and started walking toward the entrance, "Well, come on. We wont get any training done standing out here all day."

The Mitarashi and Uzumaki then entered the hazardous forest, with Anko locking the gate behind her. Naruto followed her deeper into the forest until they found a clearing.

"This seems like a good spot." Anko mumbles, turning to face Naruto. "But before we get started, "I have to ask you something."

"Sure." Said Naruto.

"You don't plan on using the Kyuubi's powers, do you?"

"In this training session?"

"No, in general."

Naruto shook his head, "No, never again. I don't want anything to do with the Kyuubi after what happened two days ago."

"I figured you'd say that." She says before sighing, "The thing about that is, I think you should use the Kyuubi's powers to your advantage. It can really be a trump card for the future."

"No," Naruto said. And from that response alone, she could tell he felt really strongly about this, "The Kyuubi's powers are far to dangerous. If I can turn on and attack my teammates while I'm like that, I don't want to every use that power again."

"I understand that," said Anko, "But the thing is, you view the Kyuubi to be a curse on you, when it can actually be a blessing. And maybe you should find a way to use that blessing to make you even stronger. I know you're strong already, Kakashi would always talk about you. But you have a demon sealed in you, and now it's probably a part of you, whether you like it or not."

"But I already told you; if it means that I can possibly hurt or kill anymore of my friends or comrades, then I don't want anything to do with it." He stated.

"I was getting to that. Have you ever considered learning how to control the Kyuubi's powers?"

"Control?" He repeated.

Anko nodded, "Mm-hmm. You've seen how strong the Kyuubi can make you. You've made Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Sannin, and my ex-sensei, run from battle. And yesterday, when I got you angry, I knew to back up off of you before I pushed you too far because I know that you could easily overpower me in that state. So if you trained yourself to control your emotions and actions while in that state, you could really become a major badass."

Naruto took Anko's words into deep consideration, "That... doesn't sound very possible."

"You can't make assumptions like that. In this world we live in, almost anything is possible. So just give it a shot."

"But... How can I go about doing it?" He asked. Anko shrugged.

"I dunno, I hardly know anything about you, the Kyuubi, or how you can learn to tame a demon's powers. But aren't you that perverted bastard's apprentice? And isn't he, like, a master of seals or something?" Naruto nodded, "So go to him for help. He's one of the Sannin, I'm sure he can figure something out."

"... I'll think about it." Naruto mumbles after a bit of deep thought.

"Good. Now lets get to the training. You can still train to be stronger without the Kyuubi." She shifted into a Hebi style fighting stance, while Naruto shifted into his own custom battle stance.

She smirked, "I'll try to take it easy on you."

Naruto copied her smirk, "I don't think your future Hokage would appreciate that."


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N - Hello all. :) **__This is the part where I respond to** reviews and such, so if you just want to get to the story, simply scroll past the bold/italic text until you've reached the horizontal line. **_

_****__**And for those of you who have mixed feelings about the whole Female Kyuubi thing... I dunno, I like Fem Kyuubi. Don't let it stray from the story though, I make Kyuubi a female for no particular reason other than me being a fan of it (Which is also stated in my profile).**_  


* * *

_Doom Marine 54 - "Oh so you just decided to portray Anko the same way everyone else does, a slutty, bitch, with no poise. How original. Murdering your friend is not something you just get over, i'd love to see how you'd just shrug it off. I meant learn more about how people actually react. Anko is an older ninja who has seen death countless times instead of seeing her as some kind of bitch who would just disregard Naruto's feelings and tell him to get over it, normal people don't do that. People in the military still have things like feelings and empathy regardless of the amount of death they've seen. The fact that you had here say that and think it was the appropriate response shows you don't understand people on an emotional level and are probably emotionally stunted."_

_**My response - Hm, you think I'm making Anko out to be slutty, and a bitch with no poise... Tell me, in what way have I made Anko slutty? I'm making her out to be a bit provocative and blunt, but not slutty. I love Anko far too much to do that to her. It's not like she had sex with Naruto, or even showed a noticeable sexual interest in him. And a bitch? She may have a few bitch-like traits in regards to her brutal honesty, but I'm not making her a bitch. I don't think taking Naruto in her home to have a talk with him to set his head on straight, while at the same time, letting him spend the night and feeding him in the morning would be something a bitch would do. Also not to forget that she's training with him to help him feel better. I feel as though you're looking at the story in more of a negative outlook than positive.**_

_**And again, as I said last chapter, I'm not making Anko force Naruto to get over the fact that he murdered Sakura. She's telling him to buck up, and handle the situation better, instead of allowing the thought of killing himself to corrupt him like he previously was. Sure, she may be rushing him just a tad, but I feel Anko (Not me) is the type to say "Hey, life's too short to take everything slow. Sometimes you have to hurry up and accomplish what you strive for before its too late.", especially since they're shinobi, who risk death upon themselves frequently on certain missions. And if I accidentally murdered my friend, I agree, that I wouldn't be able to shrug it off. But that is not my, nor Anko's or Naruto's intention in this story. I intend to have her guide Naruto off the negative path, which is deep depression, and put him back on the right one, even if Naruto might not ever get over what happened.  
**_

_**Also, Anko is not disregarding his feelings. She stated in the first chapter, that she understands where he's coming from. But she's disappointed that the usual happy-go-lucky Naruto is so depressed that he's considering suicide. She doesn't want to see him like that, so she wants to (a bit aggressively, I admit. But that's Anko) help him back onto his feet. Everyone knows that Anko isn't exactly what most people consider a "sweetheart", like Kurenai for example. It even says in the Official Naruto Wikipedia, word for word, **"Anko has also shown a slightly sadistic side and is seemingly not the most sympathetic of people, which comes as no surprise, being the former student of Orochimaru. Anko is also a very strict and blunt person, wasting no time in announcing bad news."_

_**And you say Anko has no empathy? Dude, she took him into her house, gave him an ear to talk to, let him spend the night so he wont feel lonely, cuddled with him, cooked for him, and trained with him to help him feel better. Sure, she's not being a total angel about it, but I feel you're making it seem like she told him "You're dumb for being sad over killing Sakura, get the fuck out of my house.", or something. I'm pretty sure I do understand people on an emotional level, and aren't emotionally stunted. But Anko isn't what most people call normal, anyway, in terms of both real life and in the Naruto-verse. I don't think you should connect the dialogue I've given for Anko, a fictional character in this story to my overall personality, because that's not what I intend. But I digress. This is your opinion and I respect it, nothing personal. I'm just trying to help you see my view on this story, since I feel you're misinterpreting the whole moral it. Because honestly, I don't think anyone that read this story so far feels the way you do, since quite a few people have told me they enjoy the way I portrayed Anko already... But I can be wrong, and for the readers who agree with you... Well, you all already read my argument against it.**_

_**But hey, if you don't like it, no one is strapping you to your computer chair and forcing you to read it. If you don't like, don't read. ;) I don't beg for readers or reviewers. But I do love the readers who do enjoy my work, however. :)**_

_**I'm glad to see that you enjoy 'Broken' though, by the way. :)**_

* * *

_darkassassin619 - "This seems like a good fic but I was wondering any chance this could be a harem ?"_

_**My response - Nah, no harems in this story, buddy. It's just a one-on-one pairing for this story, Broken, and for any similar stories like this that I may or may not post in the future.**__**  
**_

* * *

Anko grinned as she managed to repel another Rasengan coming her way. She swiftly sidestepped away from his hand, grabbed his arm, and threw him over her shoulder.

Naruto was sent a dozen feet into the air before shifting his body to land on his feet.

Anko placed her hands on her hips, "Come on, Naruto-kun. You gotta be faster than that if you want to get me." She taunted.

Naruto grinned, getting into a readied stance, "We're just getting warmed up."

Anko rolled her eyes playfully, "You said that eight Rasengans ago. I haven't even tried going on the offensive side yet."

Naruto chuckled challengingly, "Good, that's why I said we're just getting warmed up." He took off at Anko, with both of his index and middle fingers crossing each other in a plus sign-like figure. "Taju Kage-Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Behind him, spawned a mini army of identical Naruto clones charging behind him.

Anko could only grin as she readied herself, "This is what I'm talking about."

Her prowess in Taijutsu was displayed greatly as she either dodged, blocked, countered, or attacked each clone that threatened to lay a finger on her. She didn't have too much trouble with all the clones, but it wasn't an effortless process for her, either.

Nevertheless, even when she was hairs away of getting caught by Naruto's clones, her grin never disappeared.

After a few minutes of dispelling the Naruto copies, Anko did a quick overview of the battlefield and concluded that her stamina would run out before she even became close to dispelling all of Naruto's clones this way. After performing a sweeping kick on one Naruto clone, she leaped up, and planted a foot onto the head of another clone that was charging for her. She vaulted off its head and leaped even higher, now being able to see each clone in the clearing. She turned around, and launched a kunai into the big crowd of Narutos, one with a wire attached to it.

As she holds the other end of the wire, she flips through a few hand seals while in the air, "Katon: Ryūka no Jutsu." She then positions her mouth just above the wire. Red flames are sent from her mouth, to the wire, and quickly run down the thin material, heading straight for the dozens of clones.

She grins once the flames reach the end of the wire, and a big explosion of fire is spread down to each clone.

Quickly, each clone is dispatched. She wasn't worried about the original Naruto getting seriously injured in her jutsu, though. She made sure to hold back the technique's full strength.

"Gotcha!"

A second later, a fist slammed against Anko's cheek. Before the force made her go off in the opposite direction, she glimpsed down and saw the victorious grin of a certain Uzumaki.

Anko recovered from the jab that came to her mid-air, and performed a back flip, landing on a tall tree branch. Naruto landed on one in front of her, not too far away.

She grinned as she rubbed her cheek, "Heh, not bad for a Genin."

Naruto copied her smirk, "I hope I didn't hit you too hard."

Anko chuckled and cracked her neck, "Nah, that was nothing but a love tap." She then grinned, "But I'm sure this might hurt you a bit."

Before he could reply, Naruto was suddenly struck in his face. The force made him fall off the tree branch, onto the forest floor below.

Naruto groaned in pain. He groggily sat up and looked up at Anko. Standing on the branch he was previously standing on, was another Anko, grinning down at him.

His shock distracted him from his pained cheek and back, "Hey, what the hell?! Is that the Kage-Bunshin technique?!" He shouted. Both Anko's jumped down from the branches, directly in front of him.

"Uh-huh." She said, "You're not the only one that knows it."

Naruto stood up, "Yeah, I get that, I know Kakashi-sensei learned it too, but..." He raised an eyebrow, "How did you learn it?"

"Well, when you've been on as many B-ranked and above missions as I have, you come across a few jutsu scrolls every once in a blue moon when you find that you have to infiltrate and steal from certain areas around the world." Said Anko's clone.

"But, I didn't learn this jutsu while on a mission. Orochimaru taught me this back when he was my sensei." Said the original.

"Whoa, wait a minute," said Naruto, making sure he heard Anko correctly, "You used to be Orochimaru's student?"

Anko dispelled her clone and raised an eyebrow, "Yeah? I thought you knew, since I'm pretty sure I mentioned something about it earlier today, and you didn't say anything about it then."

"Well..." Naruto thought for a second, "I probably missed it."

Anko shrugged, "Well, yeah, I used to be Orochimaru's number one student, just like how you are to Jiraiya."

"But how could you learn from a bastard like him?" He questioned. "He wants to destroy Konoha, and you learned from him?"

"Orochimaru wasn't always a traitorous bastard." Anko stated, "He used to be a loyal shinobi of the Leaf, believe it or not."

He showed signs of shock, until remembering how Jiraiya told him that Orochimaru used to be his teammate, "But... Why does he want to destroy the Hidden Leaf now?"

"I'm not completely sure. All I know is, Orochimaru's a bit fucked up in the head. I know I am too, just a bit, but Orochimaru's on a whole 'nother level."

"So if you knew that, how come you still wanted to be his student?"

Anko hesitated for less than a second before replying, "I used to be an orphan, and Orochimaru took me under his wing when I was young. I looked up to him because he was the only one that showed any real interest in me. But he then showed me that he only looked out for me to help his experimentation."

She then turned around and dropped the collar to her trench coat past her shoulders. Behind the fishnet, on the skin of the left side of her neck, Naruto spotted a familiar symbol.

Naruto went wide-eyed, "That's..."

Anko readjusted her coat and turned around, "Yep, The Cursed Seal of Heaven. The bastard gave it to me, even though he knew I had a one in ten chance of surviving."

Naruto remembered where he last saw that seal, "That's the same seal that Sasuke has..." He mumbled. Then, flashbacks of how Sasuke's skin would be surrounded in similar symbols like that before he began to transform, right before the fight they had when he last saw him.

Anko nodded, "That Uchiha kid, right? Yep, Orochimaru wants to use him, too."

"I know..." Naruto mumbled again, while still thinking, "I told Sasuke that, and he still went with him. All the teme said was that he wanted more power..."

Anko scoffed, "All he'll be doing is giving Orochimaru more power. Orochimaru doesn't help anyone but himself, and the fact that Sasuke betrayed the Leaf and went with him shows how stupid he is, if you ask me." She then shrugged, following after with a sigh, "But I digress. He'll learn when it's too late."

Naruto went silent for the next several seconds. Anko noticed how he seemed very deep in though, hardly blinking as he stared at the ground.

"...Anko-sensei?" He finally said.

"Hm?"

"Let's get back to training."

Anko noticed the tone in which he said that. It held a lot of determination but it didn't sound like it was toward the training only.

She wondered where it came from, but simply shrugged and got ready, "Sure."

* * *

Neither of the loyal shinobi of the Leaf knew how long they've been at it. But sunset soon approached, and Anko began to grow weary.

Naruto seemed to still have full energy as he charge at Anko once again. She sighed and just barely managed to block his attacks.

Naruto attempted to give her a high kick, which Anko blocked as well. She held his foot and took a deep breath.

"Yo, Naruto."

Naruto looked at her, "Yeah?"

"As much fun as it is to train with you, you're wearing me out." She said, attempting to catch her breath.

Naruto grinned and put his foot back onto the ground, "So you're surrendering?"

Anko chuckled, "I'm suggesting we continue this another day."

"So you're giving up, like I said." He accused teasingly.

Anko gave another tired laugh, "If it makes you happy, Naruto-kun, yes."

Naruto gave one of his signature cheeky smiles, following after with a happy chuckle.

Anko rolled her eyes. But she was still smiling.

"Anyway, I don't know about you, but I'm hungry." She said.

"Me too." Naruto agreed.

"So let me take you out to some dango." Anko offered.

Naruto didn't hesitate to nod. Who would turn down free food?

* * *

Anko took Naruto to the local dango restaurant on the other side of the village. It was beginning to get dark out, and only a few people were at the restaurant.

The purple-haired Jounin takes one of her dango skewers off of her plate, and takes a bite of the sweetened dumpling.

Naruto, who was across from her, does the same. While chewing, Naruto begins to chuckle.

Anko looks at him, "What are you laughing about?" She asked.

Naruto swallowed, and continued chuckling just a bit, "I was just remembering a memory we had together."

"Oh? And which memory would that be?" She prompted with an amused grin. Naruto's smile was contagious.

He let out a few last chuckles, "Remember that time where I wanted to ask you about the Fourth Hokage's legacy, and I ate some of your dango around three years ago?" Anko looked a bit confused, so he elaborated, "It was in this restaurant. When you saw me eating them, you tried to kill me by using dango sticks as senbons."

Anko laughed when she recalled the memory, "Oh yeah... I don't joke around when it comes to my dango." She says, smiling, "But don't do it again." She said, suddenly flipping her tone of voice and facial expression over like a coin.

Naruto laughed.

Anko did not.

Naruto laughed again, more nervously.

Anko's serious expression didn't change one bit.

His smile slowly faded away, "Er..."

Anko then grins cheekily, "Just kidding!" But her facial expression switches back, just less serious this time, "But all jokes aside, don't take my dango again."

Naruto let out a small laugh, "Okay."

A few minutes pass by, with the pair eating in silence. Anko was the first to finish all her dango. She burped loudly, something the people around her didn't seem pleased with. But she simply acted as if they weren't there and patted her stomach contently.

Naruto looked at her then her plate, "You're done already? You eat faster than I do."

"Only when it comes to dango." Anko said satisfactorily. She then stood from her seat and walked to put away her plate.

As Naruto looked at her and ate his remaining dango, he caught a quick glimpse of her curse mark when she turned around.

He was thinking to himself until Anko returned to her seat, "Um... Anko-sensei?"

"Yes, Naruto-kun?"

"That seal... How often do you use it's power?"

Anko seemed ready for this question, "Never. The Third suppressed the seal years ago. Around a week after Orochimaru left the village."

Naruto nodded slowly, "So... You've never used it?"

"No, I have. Once."

The Jinchuuriki thought for a minute before speaking again, "...What did it feel like?"

Anko looked Naruto straight in the eye, "I'm not going to lie here, Naruto. Honestly, it felt good." She said. "You feel so strong with all that power at your disposal. I felt like an elite Jounin in that state, when I was only a Chuunin when I used it. I assume you feel the same way when you're in that Kyu-" she stopped herself and looked around before whispering, "The state you told me about yesterday."

Naruto nodded. He could relate; whenever he enters the Kyuubi state, he becomes drunk off of power, thirsty for more.

"So the old man made you suppress it?"

Anko shook her head, "No. I asked him to do it. He didn't even know I had it 'til I told him."

Naruto narrowed his eyes a bit, "Why did you want it suppressed? You talked about me using the Kyu-" He stopped himself, remembering where he was, "-my special powers to their full advantage. So why don't you do the same for your curse seal?"

"Well," Anko began, "I don't want to use it for a number of reasons. My main one is because Orochimaru gave it to me. As ironic and fun as it would be to train myself to train and control those powers, and kill him with it, I don't want to use anything that bastard created. Another reason is because if I were to use these powers while on duty, my teammates and possibly my village would have a hard time trusting me, seeing as I'm using something Orochimaru gave me. Third, is because the properties and effects of that seal is still somewhat unknown to everyone except Orochimaru himself. I don't know how bad of an effect using those powers would have on me. Also, for all we know, he could have some sort of control over that seal or something. I doubt he would give me something that can make me stronger than him, knowing I'd pose a threat and wanting revenge for using me."

Naruto nodded, letting all this sink in.

"If it wasn't for the fact that this was Orochimaru's creation, I'd consider using it more often. But then again, you should always find out the drawbacks of every technique and power before just going out and using it." Anko advised. "So I'm not sure if using your special powers will have any negative side effects on you, but it wont hurt to find out."

"True." Naruto said, "I'll talk to Ero-Sennin tomorrow if I can."

Anko nodded, and saw that Naruto finished his dango, "Alright, so now what? The night is still young. Is there anywhere else you wanna hang out?"

Naruto thought for a minute, "Ah, we could just walk around the village and whatnot."

Anko smirked, "Is this your way of taking me out on a date?"

Naruto's face reddened, "N-No... You were the one who offered..."

"Relax, I'm just busting your balls." She says, laughing. "But we can take a little stroll around the village, I don't mind." She stands up from her seat, and Naruto does the same. As they leave, Anko begins to pay for the food they had, but it turns out that Naruto already beat her to it.

Anko gives him a playful shocked expression, "You're paying for our dango? Such a gentleman."

* * *

Anko and Naruto departed from the dango shop, and walked along Konoha's streets, side by side.

Naruto pointed toward a small alleyway with a grin, "That's a shortcut I used to take when I'd get chased by Iruka and other Chuunin and Jounin whenever I pulled a prank three years ago."

Anko looked and chuckled, "I remember how Iruka, Yugao, and other Jounin would talk about you back then." She then looked at him with a smirk, "Apparently, you were really fast for someone who could outrun them, when you weren't even a ninja then. The Hokage asked me to chase you once, but I was busy. If I had done it, I'm pretty sure I would have caught you."

Naruto snorted, "Ha, yeah right. If those other Chuunin, Jounin, and ANBU members couldn't catch me, what makes you think you would?"

Anko's smirk widened, "I dunno. I'm just saying, considering that spar we had earlier... It gives me the impression that everyone that chased you were slackers." She then winked at him, "Unless, of course, you've slowed down in the past three years."

"No way!" Naruto exclaimed, an amused grin pasted on his features, "In fact, I'm faster than I used to be!"

Her playful, doubtful smirk never left, "I dunno, kid, I'm having doubts about that. Yugao is just as fast, if not, faster than I am. So if you can outrun her before you even became a Genin, that's something to brag about. But it didn't seem like you were holding back in our spar, so..." She said in a sing-song tone of voice.

Naruto sent her a playfully mean glare, "You wanna find out right now?"

Anko sent a mutual look, "Maybe."

A second later, Naruto grinned and took off as fast as he could.

Anko stood there and smirked. She figured she'd let him get a head start, "Oh, this will be fun."

Next, Anko pursued Naruto at high speeds.


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N - Hello all. :) **__This is the part where I respond to** reviews and such, so if you just want to get to the story, simply scroll past the bold/italic text until you've reached the next horizontal line. **_

* * *

___Psudocode Samurai - _"On your marks...

_Get set..._

_FLIRT!_

_Couldn't resist :) sorry I didn't review earlier, but I didn't know this would be a story proper, seemed like a good one-shot to me so I left it at that :P_

_Sorry so many are being rude about your Anko, but as a guy that loves and studies Anko just as much I has to say you we're pretty spot on, to paraphrase another author she not the rose, she's the thorns, but still part of a lovely hole. In my mind, if I had to put a single 'word' to her it would be cock-tease (pardon my French, but there is no 'nice' way of saying that). She's not a slut, but she's not above teasing and driving a guy up the wall, and is playful as hell. The bluntness is just 'Tom-boy' to me, and it works quite well. I've known a lot of guys and girls that are quite similar to her in that regard, now that I think of it, most are ex military, they are mostly nice, but blunt and can appear standoff-ish, may be one reason I liked her so much when I first saw her in Naruto __

_Anyway, just trying to encourage you a bit there, the assholes are always more vocal, until they meet me _. Hope to see more of this and the one with Kurenai :)"_

_**My response**** - I agree with you 100%, and I'm glad we meet eye-to-eye on Anko's personality. :) But it was only one person that didn't enjoy how I portray Anko, so it's not like it was a lot lol, But either way, I don't really let anyone else's negative opinion get to me; it wont affect how or how fast I write my story, since it is MY story. But thanks so much for taking the time out to write your words of encouragement, and I'm glad you like the story so far! :D **  
_

_ Capt. Freedom - "i have to agree with Psudocode Samurai i have friends in every branch of Armed forces ranging from grunts to Special Ops and they all end up the same blunt and to the point hell i have even picked it up from them as well so i will have a bit of a lead on the guys i got to boot with lol. as for the guy saying your making her slutty i have seen way worse fics that make Anko give succubi a bad name _

_ For those who don't know what that is here is the Definition for it- A succubus (plural succubi) is a female demon or supernatural being appearing in dreams, who takes the form of a human woman in order to seduce men, usually through sexual intercourse. The male counterpart is the incubus. Religious traditions hold that repeated intercourse with a succubus may result in the deterioration of health or even death._

_ As for how people deal with people dieing that are close to them like team mates it really does range from person to person for me i have lost a few people close to in my life, but me i have always been able to disconnect myself from the emotions that come with that stuff and some people call me an asshole for not feeling stuff and i have even been called a monster to my face it comes down to how the person was raised and how they were treated at a young age if they lived though a lot of hellish bull shit like i did tho i will say other people have had it worse then me, they learn to disconnect themselves just like Anko does and her being in T&I specialist she has to be able to do that to get what she wants and if you think about she used a form of interrogation called revise interrogation and a few others that i can't remember the name to them at this moment._

_ All i am saying is yes Anko is a bitch but she is the Bitch that cares more then people think she does. If you think about yes she can get lonely as well the training an T&I member goes though you have to be um-readable so you don't get played by the person you are interrogating and that makes it really hard for people to try to talk to you and some times avoid you all together trust me i know friend thought me what he learned and sense then a lot of people saty away from me because that can't read me. _

_ so with this huge review i think i have proven my point about Anko for this story lol. _

_ it is a great story and i can't wait to see the next chapter. keep it up and dont let assholes beat you down because they just want to try to make you feel bad."_

___**My response**** - As with Psudocode Samurai, I agree with you 100% and am glad that you agree with me as well :) But I respect the fact that people have two sides of everything, so I don't take criticism to the heart. Everyone has their own opinion, and when it comes to making a story, it is my opinion that truly matters, so again, I don't retaliate too much with people's disagreements, even if they try to make me feel bad. But thank you so much for taking the time to write all that, and I'm happy that you enjoy the story! :D  
**_

* * *

"Oof!"

"Hah! Gotcha!"

"No way, you cheated!"

"How?"

"You used a shunshin!"

"Didn't Iruka and all the other people chasing you three years ago use shunshins too?"

"...Shut up."

Anko chuckled as she got off of Naruto's back, "Well, I was going to say something regarding this not being a challenge, but it actually was." She offers Naruto a hand to get up, "I chased you for about an hour, and I have to admit, you actually outsmarted me a few times."

Naruto used Anko's assistance to get off the ground. He gave a small grin and dusted himself off, "Well, I'm not as much of a prankster as I used to be, so I might have gotten a bit rusty."

The Jounin smirked, "In any case, I'll give you credit where it's due. Just be sure to be like this more often on the battlefield." She teased.

"Whatever." Said Naruto, "How about we do this again someday? Only next time, we can use jutsu." He proposed challengingly.

Anko could only accept a challenge like that, "Alright, you're on."

POOF.

Next to the pair, revealed Yamato via shunshin. Naruto and Anko weren't expecting him to pop up at a time like this, but neither jumped out of their skin at his sudden appearance.

"Naruto," The wood-syle user said to the blonde. "Come with me. Tsunade-sama wishes to speak to us."

Naruto immediately got a bit nervous as he said that, "Um... About what...?" He said in a tone that gave a hint as to whether or not it regarded the mission a couple of days ago.

Yamato shrugged, "I'm not a hundred percent sure, but she said it has to do with the spy mission two days ago."

"Shit..." Naruto mentally cursed. He really didn't want to face Tsunade. At least not right now.

He turned to Anko, "Um, I'll see you in a bit, Anko-sensei."

Anko nodded. With that, Naruto and Yamato vanished in a puff of smoke.

She then headed back to her apartment, wondering how Tsunade would react if her assumptions about Tsunade finding out the truth regarding that mission were true.

* * *

In the Hokage's office, Tsunade sat behind her desk, doing paperwork as she usually does. Shizune was beside her, holding Tonton, helping her leader with every Hokage's dreaded responsibility.

Then a knock came to her door.

"Enter." She called. Then, walking inside the office were Yamato and Naruto.

Naruto hesitated before he stepped in, trying to formulate any possible last-minute alibis to not see Tsunade right now. But as he forced himself into the room, he immediately looked at her to see her facial expression to predict what will happen next. From what he saw, Tsunade didn't seem angry at him.

But then again, Tsunade can be full of surprises.

Before Tsunade said anything, a certain silver-haired Jounin walked into the room. Naruto looked at him and saw that he's fully recovered from the hospital.

Tsunade looked at all three of them, "Good, all of you are here." She looked at Kakashi, "Do you feel better, Kakashi?"

He nodded, "Yes, good as new." He said.

"Good." She said, "So now that you are all here, it'd be best if I told you why I summoned you here."

This is where Naruto could feel his heart pounding.

Tsunade took a small pause, one that Naruto thought was longer than it actually was.

"Sai... Has been reported dead."

The three men in the room weren't prepared to hear such news.

Tsunade could tell from their expressions, especially Naruto's, that they wanted her to elaborate, "Sai's body has been found in what we would assume was Orochimaru's hideout. After inspecting Sai's wounds, it seems that he'd been finished off from a specific lightning style justu that you, Naruto and Kakashi, should be familiar with. The Chidori."

While Kakashi showed slight surprise, Naruto's eyes almost bulged from their sockets. It was a lot to take in; not only was Sai dead, but...

"It's almost a no brainer that Sasuke Uchiha was the one who killed him."

Sasuke. He hasn't heard about him since he first joined Orochimaru. And now, to hear that he killed Sai... Well, it's not like Sai was much of an ally to him anyway, he was the one who fled and tagged along with Orochimaru. But still, why would Sasuke kill him if they were on the same side?

Yamato vocalized Naruto's thoughts, "Why would Sasuke kill him, if Sai betrayed us and joined them? Was he a spy?"

"Yes." Tsunade answered, "After speaking with Danzo, he revealed that he sent Sai on a secret mission aside from the one I assigned him to. He was to secretly join Orochimaru, then assassinate Sasuke Uchiha once they met up at their hideout."

"But it seems that Sasuke was either too strong for Sai, or caught on to his plan." Says Kakashi. As Tsunade nodded to Kakashi's assumption, it was then that Naruto wondered how strong Sasuke had actually become over the years. Sai was in ANBU, and he knew he was not weak, rivaling with his own skills, although he didn't like to admit it. So to hear that Sai was eliminated on an assassination attempt, made him very curious as to how he'd stack up to Sasuke right now.

"So Sai didn't actually betray the Leaf. He was following under Danzo's orders." Said Yamato, "But why wouldn't Danzo inform you of this plan?"

"Because Danzo is a snake and likes to do things behind my back." Said Tsunade bitterly. "He knows that I wouldn't approve of such an idea. The only reason he told me the truth is because I know one of his top and most trusted ROOT members wouldn't betray Konoha that easily, unless Danzo was attempting to team up with Orochimaru through Sai, which is something I can definitely have him executed for."

The three nodded.

"And I'm still going to have a discussion with the council to discuss his punishment for not informing me of his plans."

"That does seem a bit treasonous, Tsunade-sama." Kakashi said, "And I'm assuming Sasuke and Orochimaru are no longer at that hideout."

"You assumed correctly, Kakashi." She said, "The whereabouts of those two are still unknown."

She then turned her eyes at Naruto.

"Naruto-kun, you're unusually quiet."

Naruto didn't know what to say. Not only was the news unexpected, but he still felt conflicted about being in the same room with a person he lied to.

Kakashi glimpsed at him, "It's probably a lot to take in. Especially given what happened recently."

Naruto inwardly thanked him for speaking up for him. Tsunade accepted Kakashi's statement.

"I see. Well, now that Sai is no longer with us, I'll give Squad 7 a few days off to recuperate, especially since Sakura's funeral will be held two days from now. Sai's will be held the following day after."

Naruto felt a lump starting to form in his throat.

"So that is all I have to inform you. You guys are dismissed." She says. The three males in the room nod and begin to exit.

"Hey, Naruto?" Tsunade calls, just as he was about to leave. His heart skipped a beat, and he hesitated to turn around and face her.

"...Yeah?"

Tsunade gives him a look of sympathy, "Everything is going to be alright."

Naruto hasn't looked her in the eye the whole time he was in the room, "I know. Thanks, Tsunade-sama."

With that, he left.

Tsunade frowned. Shizune leaned down to whisper to her, "Naruto didn't call you Baa-chan this time..."

Tsunade nodded, still looking out the door frame, "I know. That's what has me worried."

Shizune worried for Naruto as well, "He must still be really hurt over what happened... I hope he's okay..."

"Yeah," Tsunade mumbled, "Me too."

* * *

Just as Naruto exited through the front door of the Hokage tower, he spotted Kakashi on the other side, who was waiting for him.

"Yo, Naruto. We have to talk." He said. Naruto sighed inwardly. He wondered if Kakashi might have found out the truth as well.

"Um, sure. What's up?" Naruto replied.

"I have to speak to you about a number of things, actually. It'd be best if we discussed things at Training ground 7."

Naruto nodded, and the two remaining members of Squad Seven shunshin to the empty training ground. Kakashi sits on a tree stump, and motions for Naruto to sit on one beside his.

He looks at Naruto seriously, "I'm not going to beat around the bush here, Naruto. I know what happened on the spy mission."

Naruto sighed. He was ready for Kakashi to say something like that, "Yamato-sensei told you, didn't he?" Naruto felt no need to deny or lie about the truth any longer.

Kakashi nodded, "Yes."

Now Naruto knew never to trust Yamato with a secret again.

He sighed again, "Listen, it wasn't my fault. Orochimaru got me so angry, and I just lost control."

"I understand that." Said Kakashi, "But there isn't much you should be apologizing for."

"I know, but..." Naruto paused, "I still feel so guilty, like it was my fault. I didn't mean to do what I did, but it keeps eating at me."

"Naruto, relax." Kakashi replied, "It's not like something like this hasn't happened before."

"I've never killed a comrade before!" Naruto said, "This is the first time my actions have hurt those close to me, and as a result, Sakura is gone..." Naruto prevented a tear from falling. He thought he sorted things out through that talk with Anko.

Kakashi only looked at him, with a raised eyebrow, "...Naruto, are you saying that you killed Sakura?"

Naruto shook his head in confusion, "I don't know. I know the Kyuubi was really the one that did it, but I still can't help but feel like it was me, even though I didn't do it on purpose."

"...Huh." Kakashi mumbled, surprise evident in his voice.

Naruto looked at him, "What?"

"Last I heard, Orochimaru was the one that killed Sakura. Now you're saying that you did it?"

Naruto looked at him, confused, "Well, yeah... Isn't that what Yamato told you?"

"Yamato told me that you grew four tails into the Kyuubi state. He didn't tell me that you killed Sakura."

Naruto wanted to hang himself. Thanks to a misunderstanding, he accidentally confessed about what happened. His guilt over what happened had forced him to believe that Yamato broke their promise and told Kakashi the truth, when that clearly wasn't the case.

"Shit..." Naruto mumbled. On the plus side, at least he doesn't have to hide the secret from him anymore.

Kakashi gave a small, non-comical chuckle, "Well, I gotta say that you fell for a trap that I didn't even lay out. I thought that Orochimaru killing Sakura was what might have triggered you that far into the Kyuubi state." He said, "But now it all adds up. No wonder you seemed quieter than I thought you'd be."

Naruto didn't say anything.

Kakashi continued, "Well, I'm not going to blame you for what happened. You lost control, and something unfortunate occured because of it. There's no reason to beat yourself up."

"I know..." Naruto mumbled, "But it's hard not to blame myself."

"I know." Kakashi said, "I know exactly how you feel."

"You do?" Naruto asked, turning his head to look at him.

Kakashi nodded, "Yes. I'm going to tell you something that I never spoke to anyone else about." With Naruto's nod, Kakashi began, "I've killed a teammate of mine before, too."

Naruto's eyes went wide, "Really?"

Kakashi nodded, "It happened quite a few years ago. I won't go into details, but events had forced me to kill someone very close to me, just like how you were close with Sakura. I blamed myself over what happened for months, even though I did what any sensible shinobi would have done in my situation. So to sum it up, I understand exactly where you're coming from. But don't make the same mistake I made when I was young, and let your mourning slow you down from becoming stronger."

Naruto nodded, "I know. I had a similar talk like this with someone yesterday." Said Naruto. "But thanks anyway."

"No problem," The Copy Ninja replied, "But back to what I originally wanted to talk to you about. I've done some thinking while I was in the hospital, and I want to give you special training."

"Special training?" Naruto repeated.

"Yeah. Since using the Kyuubi's powers are too dangerous to use, I figured that I'd give you special training that can make you a lot stronger really soon."

Naruto's eyebrows raised in shock, "Really?" He then thought for a minute, "Actually, I've been doing some thinking, and I figured that I would try to learn how to control the Kyuubi's powers."

Kakashi showed signs of interest, "Hm... And how do you plan to do something like that?"

"I'm not really sure. But I figured I'd talk with Ero-Sennin, and see if he could help me."

Kakashi thought to himself for a bit, "Controlling the Kyuubi's powers... I gotta say Naruto, that doesn't sound easy. Not impossible. But not easy."

"I know." Said Naruto, "But if I can learn to control those powers, I think I can become a lot stronger. I can also not worry about losing control of those powers if I get too angry or upset."

"You make some valid points, Naruto." Kakashi agrees, "So do you still wish to continue with the training I planned for you?"

"Yes." Naruto nods, "I'd still like to become stronger without Kyuubi's powers, too."

"Good." Says Kakashi, "So meet me here tomorrow at noon. I'll have everything ready for you then."

* * *

The next morning, Naruto woke up in his apartment, had breakfast, and did as he was told to attend Kakashi's training session. He ended up waiting an hour more than he should have, however, as usual.

Kakashi poofed in front of him, "Sorry I'm late, I-"

"Save it." Naruto said with a small grin, "I've dealt with you for years, I'm used to it now."

Kakashi chuckled, "Good. So now that I'm here, I suppose we can get right too it."

Naruto smiled. He hasn't trained with Kakashi in a long time, and no matter what, training always made him happy.

"But before that, I have to explain a few things to you."

This is where Naruto sighed. Kakashi had a bad habit of hyping him up with something exciting, then holding off on it right before they can get to it.

"We're here because we're going to work on developing a new ninjutsu for you, one stronger than the Rasengan." Kakashi said, and grinned inwardly as he saw Naruto make a face that showed him that he had his full attention. "You have a lot of ninjutsu capabilities, and sometimes shadow clones and the Rasengan might not be enough for certain situations."

Naruto nodded.

Kakashi held up two fingers, "Now, there are two forms of chakra manipulation when it comes to jutsu. There's the chakra change in form, which can change the overall shape and effect of your ninjutsu. Then there's chakra change in nature, which changes the element of your jutsu." Before Naruto could say anything, Kakashi continued, "But before we get into two things at once, lets start off with explaining the chakra change in form."

Naruto nodded again, "Naruto, make a Rasengan." Kakashi told him. Naruto looked at him, wondering where he was getting at, but shrugged nevertheless.

The Uzumaki summoned a shadow clone. He held his hand out, and he and the clone formed a Rasengan with trained ease. The shadow clone dispersed, and Naruto looked at Kakashi with the ball of chakra in his hand, hinting for him to continue.

"Good. Now as you can see, you've managed to compress your chakra into a perfect sphere, while at the same time manipulating the chakra to spin and swirl at incredible speeds."

Naruto nodded, "So, that means I'm good at manipulating my chakra's form, right?" He said, staring a the jutsu.

Kakashi nodded, "Not only are you good at it, you've pretty much mastered it. The Rasengan requires extensive skill it that area."

Naruto's face lit up, "Awesome!"

Kakashi smiled, "So now that you've gotten that down-pat, lets start with chakra change in nature."

Naruto nodded and let his Rasengan give away. Kakashi went through three hand seals, then held up his arm, "Lets use the Chidori for example. The Chidori requires both change in form and nature. First, I channel my chakra into my hand." He does so, and a small dosage of blue chakra forms into the palm of his hand. "Then I shift my chakra into the lightning nature." The chakra grows, and begins to spark and crackle with electricity. "Then I change its shape to determine the range and severity of it's effect." The lightning-style chakra in his hand suddenly grows and expands around Kakashi, surrounding him in a spectacular view of electric chakra.

Naruto could feel the chakra radiating off of his sensei. He nods, and becomes enchanted with the lightning dancing around Kakashi. "So... What would happen if I added the change in nature to my Rasengan?"

"It'll make it stronger." He said, "And that's exactly what I'm going to train you for."

Naruto couldn't help but grin. He loves knowing that he'll become stronger.

Kakashi dispelled his Chidori, "But first, we have to figure out what your chakra nature is. I'm sure you know that there's five possible elements that every shinobi can have, which can determine what style jutsu they can use."

Naruto nodded, "Yeah, Fire, Wind, Earth, Water, and Lightning."

"Correct. So we're going to figure out what your nature is right now." He reached into his back pouch, and held out a piece of paper, "This is special paper that was taken from a tree fed with chakra. With this, you can tell what your affinity is by adding chakra of your own. Like so." The paper in Kakashi's hand suddenly crumpled up. "See? The paper reacts to your chakra's element. Since mine was Lightning, it crumples up. If it were fire, it would have burned. If it were water, it would have gotten soaked. If it were wind, it would have cut in half. And if it were earth, it would have crumbled into pieces."

Naruto showed that he was following Kakashi so far. Kakashi then gave him the same paper, "Here. Now pour a bit of your chakra into it, and we'll find out what your nature is."

Naruto took the paper and nodded. He focused his chakra into the paper. A moment later, he saw the paper split in half.


	5. Chapter 5

___**A/N - Hello all. :) **__This is the part where I respond to____****__** reviews and such, so if you just want to get to the story, simply scroll past the bold/italic text until you've reached the horizontal line.**_

___****__**And for those of you that asked questions regarding what will happen next in the story, I'll give no answer. You'll have to find that out for yourself. ;)**_

_zero__ - love the fic it on par with that look if do say myself_

_**My Response - 'That Look', is probably my favorite AnkoxNaruto story here on Fanfiction. So for you to say that this story is on par with it is a serious compliment. :) Thanks!**  
_

_riffin121294 _-_ Aw I thought he will have different element._

**_My Response - Nah, I decided to follow canon and let him keep the wind element. I did think about changing it though, but eh. I have a small idea later on in the story for it..._**

* * *

Naruto stared at the paper for a few more seconds before looking at his sensei, "...I have wind chakra?"

Kakashi nodded, "It would appear so. I was actually expecting you to have fire, since that is Konoha's typical element." He said. "Wind is actually kind of rare around here."

Naruto slowly nodded, "Wind doesn't seem very strong to me." He said honestly.

"Actually," Kakashi said, "Wind is very powerful. In fact, all elements are equal in power, it just depends on the jutsu it's used in. Wind may not be as destructive and dangerous as an element like fire, but it holds no less power." Naruto raised an eyebrow, hinting for Kakashi to elaborate, "All elements hold their own type of destructive power, which can more or less become more powerful than other elements, depending on the strength of the jutsu used. For example,"

He goes through six hand seals in less than a second, "Fire is destructive in a way that can ignite and set its target in flames. Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu." A big ball of flames is hurled toward a tree from Kakashi's face. Naruto covers himself from the blast once the jutsu completely incinerates it's target.

He then goes through seven hand seals at insane speeds, "Earth can completely pulverize and obliterate it's target. Doton: Tamaishi Nageru no Jutsu." He holds his hand out, and forms a big rock boulder made of chakra right above it. At a toss of his hand, the boulder is hurled at another tree. Naruto watches as the tree is completely broken in half once it made contact.

Another number of hand seals are seen being formed from the Copy Ninja, "Lightning can electricute and fry its target." Naruto sees Kakashi forming a familiar jutsu he had seen not twenty minutes ago. Kakashi stabs a nearby tree with his lightning covered hand. A moment later, as he keeps his hand lodged in it, the tree begins to emit smoke as the leafs are seen falling from its branches.

Naruto is still amazed at how fast Kakashi can form hand seals, as he goes through another dozen or so, "And water, when enough force is used, can completely rip apart its target in its current. Suiton: Suiryudan no Jutsu." A dragon made of water is seen roaring from Kakashi's hand as he holds it out toward another tree. The dragon annihilates the tree, as it rips and destroys it in its wrath.

Kakashi then sighs, knowing that he used almost half of his chakra in his demonstrations, "But ironically, I can't perform any wind-style jutsu because that is the only element I haven't learned."

"Really, of all elements, it had to be the one that I have...?" Naruto said flatly, "But how can you use four elements anyway? I thought you said that everybody can only use one."

Kakashi shook his head, "No, I said that everyone has one affinity. Its possible for anyone to learn another, it just takes time. Most Jounin actually know two or more natures." He said, "In fact, I'm sure you've seen Sasuke use the Gokakyu no Jutsu and the Chidori, so he knows how to use both the fire and lightning natures."

Naruto paused, "...So the bastard is still ahead of me, huh...?" Naruto grumbles, "He knows two natures, while I just figured out what my affinity was twenty minutes ago."

Kakashi looked at him, "Well, the amount of chakra natures you know doesn't exactly improve your strength. Remember, you still rivaled his power when he knew two, and you knew none."

"But... That's only because I have the Kyuubi."

"And he has the Sharingan."

Naruto slowly nodded. Kakashi had a point.

"Anyway, since I can't use wind-style jutsu, I suppose I can only help you with your training verbally. However, there is one other person in the village with a wind-style affinity that you can probably learn from."

At this, Naruto's interest increased, "Really? Who?"

"Asuma Sorutobi."

Naruto had to think for a second, "...Shikamaru's sensei?" Kakashi nodded, "Huh. That's cool. So can I go see him now?"

The cyclops shook his head, "First we have to work on actually getting your chakra to shift into it's nature. That paper only cut in half because it was detecting your chakra nature."

Naruto nodded, "Alright, so how do I start?"

* * *

Elsewhere, Anko exited a room, with a grin showing a job well done.

She looked at Ibiki, "The poor bastard cracked faster then I expected."

The head of the T&I Department gave a small snort, "Or maybe you're just getting better at this interrogation business."

She laughed, "Possibly. I might be taking your job soon enough."

At this, Ibiki couldn't help but grin, "Don't get ahead of yourself." He said, "Anyway, what did you find out?"

"Apparently, he knew a lot more than we thought. He's been making deals with the Akatsuki for months. He was near Kumo with two of them sometime before he was dragged here, and it seems that he's a missing-nin from Kumo that got paid a hefty amount of money to release intel to help them capture one of the Jinchuuriki. The Two-Tails from Kumo to be exact." She stated.

Ibiki nodded. He had to admit, he was impressed. "I see. I'll report this information to the Hokage immediately."

Anko nodded, then grinned, "So, am I dismissed? Or can I go ahead and work more of my magic on more unlucky prisoners?" She asks, cracking her knuckles.

Ibiki chuckled, "You're dismissed, Anko, there's no more prisoners left to interrogate." He said, grinning, "I think you're loving your job a bit too much. You might just go insane yourself from it."

Anko's laugh echoed throughout the hallway, "I think it's a little too late for that, don't you think?"

* * *

Tsunade sighed once Ibiki left the room.

"So they're after the Two-Tails now?" Said Shizune, "The Akatsuki must not want to waste any time, seeing as they've already captured the One-Tail..."

Tsunade grumbled, "Those damned Akatsuki. We can't let them capture any more Tailed Beasts. We failed to prevent them from getting one, and I'll be damned if I'll let it happen again."

"So what are you going to do? Send a message to the Raikage?"

Tsunade shook her head, "No, they probably still don't trust us after what happened back when Minato was alive. I'll have to start a mission. Bring me Squad 10."

* * *

_*The next day*_

Anko, Kakashi, and Yamato watched as Naruto attempted to split a waterfall by himself, along with his clones.

_"I know I've said this before, but the kid's really got a nice body..."_ She thought to herself as she watched the water flow down his chiseled and masculine torso, _"He was so scrawny back during the Chuunin exams three years ago... Now look at him. And his stamina is insane. He's been out here for more than two hours, working on the same method nonstop. It makes me wonder..."_ Anko tugged at the collar of her trench coat, _"Whew, it's getting hot out here..."_

Suddenly, with one last roar from himself and his clones, Naruto succeeded in splitting the waterfall in half with his wind chakra.

"Hey, I did it!" Naruto declared victoriously. The three Jounin witnessing this grinned.

"He's progressing a lot faster than expected." Yamato said.

Kakashi nodded, "Definitely. And it's all because of his willpower, along with the use of his shadow clones." He then looks at Naruto again, and grins once he can see the image of his deceased sensei, "I think he might surpass his father."

Anko could only grin. She had to admit, she did like strength and power in a man.

"Good job, Naruto." Exclaimed Kakashi, "Now we can work on the next step."

Naruto dispelled his clones and jumped down from the bank of wood that was placed in front of the waterfall. He jumped in front of his Jounin sensei, and Anko got a close up view of his wet and glistening body.

_"Mm-hmm."_ She thought inwardly, _"I approve."_

"So what's next?" Naruto said to the silver haired Jounin.

"Now, we can work on creating a new justu for you." Kakashi responded with a grin.

Naruto pumped both of his fists in the air, "Yes! Finally!"

Kakashi then frowned upon remembering something, "But we'll have to put that on hold for now. Sakura's funeral takes place in about an hour."

This immediately dropped the mood lingering around the four shinobi.

Naruto's happiness drained away instantly, "Oh, right..." He looked at the three Jounin, "So you guys are the only ones that know how Sakura-chan really died..."

Kakashi nodded, "Yes, but don't start beating yourself up over it again. It wasn't your fault, and none of us blame you."

"I know, I know..." Said Naruto, "But... I'm still not sure if I wanna attend the funeral."

The three Jounin looked at each other. They could understand why he wouldn't want to go.

"Well, I can't say anyone would blame you if you didn't." Said Anko, "But you may have regrets about not seeing Sakura one more time before she goes six feet under."

"That's the thing, I don't know if I'll be able to handle seeing her again." He said, "I mean... My blood boils whenever I think about it, because I'm still so angry with myself. And right now, with the way the seal to the Kyuubi is right now... I don't wanna risk anything, ya know?" He said.

Kakashi and the rest of the Jounin nodded.

"But, I can suppress the Kyuubi's chakra. I'll be at the funeral, too." Yamato reminded him.

Naruto shrugged, "...Still. I'm not sure..."

Kakashi nodded understandingly, "I understand. Well, you have an hour to make up your mind." He said. Naruto nodded, and Kakashi shunshin-ed in a swirl of leaves. Yamato did the same.

When Anko performed the hand seal to shunshin as well, Naruto raised an eyebrow, "You're going, too?"

Anko shrugged, "Eh, why not. I have nothing better to do, so I may as well show my respects."

With that, she was gone as well, leaving Naruto to think for himself.

* * *

Tsunade was at her desk, working on paperwork, as usual. Then there was a knock at her door.

"Enter." She said. Entering the room, was Shikamaru, "Ah, Shikamaru. How was the mission?"

She noted his facial reaction. Something bad happened during that mission.

"The mission... was a success." He said, surprising Tsunade a bit, "We've managed to save the Two-Tails Jinchuuriki. The two Akatsuki members we faced near Yugakure have fled from battle for whatever reason. However..." Shikamaru hesitated, "Asuma-sensei died during battle."

Tsunade was shocked, "Those damn Akatsuki..." She grumbled. Now it made sense why Asuma, Ino and Choji weren't here accompanying him at the moment. Ino and Choji are probably mourning right now, "Did you recover his body? And where is the Two-Tailed Jinchuuriki?"

"They're both in the hospital. They're trying to see if there's a chance that we can save Asuma, but we know that's most likely not going to happen. His wounds are practically beyond any repair. And the Two-Tails was pretty banged up before we jumped in to assist her. She's currently unconscious and being treated." He said.

Tsunade nodded, "You were right to bring her here." She said, "In any case, good job on the mission. And I'm sorry about Asuma." She said with a sympathetic frown. She knows that Asuma meant a lot to him and his teammates.

"It's fine." Shikamaru lied, "May I be dismissed? I have to tend to Ino and Choji..."

Tsunade nodded, "Of course."

With that, Shikamaru bowed and left. Tsunade sighed. She felt bad for these young shinobi that have to deal with the death of loved ones so soon. She knew the path of being a shinobi was not an easy one and cursed at how brutal its reality is.

She felt especially bad for Ino. Having lost Sakura, her best friend and rival since birth, then losing her cherished sensei a few days after may seriously take a toll on her emotional and mental well-being. Tsunade made a mental note to talk to her after Sakura's funeral.


	6. Chapter 6

Naruto laid on his bed, simply staring at his ceiling. Immobile. Just breathing and hardly ever blinking. He was so deep inside his own mind, he almost forgot that he was conscious.

"I can't do it." Thought Naruto, "I can't go to the funeral. It'll be too much for me to bear, seeing all her friends and close ones, crying over something I did..." He sighed and fought back tears. He felt that he'd done enough crying over this subject.

In the back of his mind, he could hear Kyuubi taunting him, poking at his nerves. She called him weak, useless, soft-hearted, everything she could think of. But Naruto knew, that not one of those adjectives described him. He tried to tune her voice out and gripped his hair.

"I'm sorry, Sakura." He mumbled out, sitting up on his bed. "I really hope you forgive me... For everything."

_"I can't forgive you."_

Everything within Naruto's body stood still for at least a whole second. He looked up, and his eyes and jaw opened at what was in front of him.

Or rather, who.

She smiled at him, _"Hi, Naruto-kun."_

Naruto sat there, at a loss for words as he looked at the long, loose, white kimono dress that hung perfectly on her body. The pink hair he'd grown to love stopped right before her shoulders, free from the lack of a Hitai-ate, as she usually would wear. There was now what seemed like white smoke gracefully floating above his floor boards, stopping right at their ankles.

What amazed Naruto the most about her, was that her body seemed to be slightly transparent.

He couldn't say a thing, his mind practically shut off on him.

_"I can't forgive you for something you didn't do, Naruto-kun."_ She says. Naruto noticed that there was a slight reverberation to her voice as well.

"S... Sakura-chan...?" He whispered. He has not blinked since his eyes settled on her, "Is that... really you?"

The angel gave a small smile, _"Yes, it's me, Naruto."_

Two liquid streams rolled from each of his eyes.

"No way..." He finally said. He closed his eyes and looked away, "I don't believe it. Someone is messing with me through a Genjutsu."

Sakura chuckled slightly, _"This is no Genjutsu, Naruto. It's me. Not really in the flesh, but this is the real Sakura."_ She smiled, _"Believe it."_

Naruto looked back at her, unable to take in what he's seeing, "...So... you're like... an angel?"

Sakura nodded.

He looked her over one more time and buried his face into his hands, "...I'm sorry..."

Sakura moved closer,_ "Don't apologize. There's nothing to be sorry for."_

"Yes there is." Naruto said, "On that mission, I could have tried to keep my emotions in tact better than how I did. If it wasn't for me, and what I have contained inside me, you wouldn't be like... this. You'd still be here."

_"Naruto..."_ She caressed his cheek. Naruto noticed that the contact felt like a breeze of cool air against his skin, _"In your heart, I'll always be here with you. And Ino. And Tsunade-sama. I've seen everything you've been doing since I passed away, and I want you to know that I'll always watch over you."_

"But..." Naruto mumbled, "I regret everything that happened on that mission... Everything could have been avoided, you could have still been alive as if nothing happened. I feel like shit..."

She gazed at him sympathetically,_ "Don't, Naruto. Ever since you've met me, all you've done was care for me. You've saved my life on previous missions countless times, and I know you would sacrifice a lot in my name. Even as I treated you like a complete jerk, you still found it in your heart to want to be my friend and protect me."_ She sat on the bed next to him, staring down at the ground, _"I really regret how I've treated you back then. If anything, what happened on that mission was what I deserve for neglecting you and putting you down for almost a whole year."_

Naruto looked into her dazzling green eyes, "No, you don't deserve anything like that, especially not... death." He said.

_"Well, either way, what happened on that mission was an accident. I know you would never do anything to hurt me, so stop blaming yourself."_ She told him, looking back at him.

Naruto shook his head, his thoughts making him frustrated, "But if I wasn't here, you still would be!" He groaned, "I would take my own life in a heartbeat if it you could come back! I've always wanted to protect you, Sakura-chan, but I end up killing you instead! I'm such a screw up! I failed to bring Sasuke back, and now you're gone because I wasn't strong enough to hold back my emotions! I'm sorry, Sakura-chan, I'm so so sor-"

An Angel's Kiss gracefully landed upon his lips, bringing his words to an immediate halt. The sensation took his breath away. It didn't even feel as though she were kissing him on a physical level, but on a spiritual one.

Sakura slowly pulled back a few inches, opening her eyes to look at him. Naruto finally opened his once he heard Sakura's giggle, _"You always did talk way too much."_ She says. Naruto blushed. He always dreamed of kissing Sakura, but never imagined it happening like this.

_"It's okay, Naruto, I'm in a better place now. I'm happy that I get to watch over you, and watch you climb your way up to become Hokage, because I know you'll do it. I support you one-hundred percent of the way, and know that I'll always be in your heart."_

"Sakura..." He murmured, once seeing that Sakura was becoming more transparent.

She smiled softly, _"Looks like I have to go soon. But remember what I said Naruto. Don't drag yourself down, and I'll always be looking out for you."_

Naruto slowly nodded, "...Okay."

_"Oh, and before I go,"_ said Sakura, _"Tell Tsunade-sama what happened on the mission. It'd be better for her to hear it from you, than anyone else."_ Naruto frowned, but nodded, _"And I want to ask you for two favors while I still can..."_

"Sure, Sakura-chan, anything." He said.

She looked straight in his eyes,_ "Talk to Ino for me. She's having a very rough time right now, and she could use the help from you and that big heart of yours."_ Naruto nodded, _"And that scary lady, Anko? Always keep her close. She really cares for you, Naruto-kun, and I wish I could thank her for getting you back on your feet. She has a good heart."_ She says with a sincere smile. Naruto gave a small smile as well and nodded.

"I'll do everything you said." He told her honestly. As Sakura smiled, Naruto noticed that she was now barely visible.

_"Thank you, Naruto. I can't thank you enough for all you've done for me."_ She leaned forward and kissed him again, caressing his face. Naruto closed his eyes, kissing her back.

_"I'll always be with you, Naruto-kun."_

Naruto opened his eyes. She was no longer there.

But somehow, he could still feel her presence.

* * *

Naruto woke up the next day feeling strange. Not strange in a bad way, but felt as though a weight as been lifted from his shoulders.

Just as he kicked the covers off his body, there was a knock at his door. He groggily walked up to and opened it.

"Oh, Anko..." He greeted, rubbing his eye. Anko stepped inside, despite his absence of an approval.

"Hey, Naruto. How you feeling?" She asked, sitting on his bed.

Naruto yawned and stretched, "Fine, I guess." He then raised an eyebrow her way, "Um, how do you know where I live?"

"Kakashi told me." She says, "I just wanted to check on you, since I didn't see you at the funeral, or for the rest of that day as well."

Naruto shrugged, "I'm fine. I just didn't want to go."

Anko nodded. "So Kakashi says that he'll be ready to continue your training when you are."

"I'm ready, but there's a few things I want to take care of first." He says, "I'm going to tell Tsunade what happened."

She showed interest in his announcement, "I saw her at the funeral, too. She wondered why you weren't there."

Naruto sat on his bed next to her, "Oh... How bad was she mourning while she was there...?" He asked carefully.

Anko shrugged, "Not bad. She let a few tears fall, gave a small speech in Sakura's honor, but nothing too bad." She looked at him, "She's old, I'm sure she's dealt with situations like that quite a few times in the past."

Naruto nodded and looked down at the floor. Anko studied him, "You don't look like you're ready to tell her."

"I don't know if I am." He told her honestly, "But I have to do it before she manages to find out from someone or somewhere else."

Anko hummed in agreement, "I respect that. And I'm sure Tsunade would, too." Just as Naruto looked at her, she stood up and stretched her limbs, "Well, I gotta get going. They have a buy-one-get-one-free deal at the dango shop if you get there before a certain time." She gave him a small wave and headed for the door.

"Hey, Anko?" Naruto mumbled with a slight amount of hesitation before Anko stepped out of his home.

She turned around, "Yeah?"

Naruto walked up to her, giving a small smile, "Thanks." He said before enveloping her in a hug.

Anko didn't hide her confusion for his sudden action, "Uh, you're welcome? What exactly did I do?"

He pulled away, still smiling, "I just wanted to thank you for everything you've done for me in the past couple of days. You're... a really good friend."

Anko simply stared at him, "Oh. Well, don't get all sappy and sentimental on me like this. It makes me uncomfortable."

Naruto chuckled, "Right, I don't really know where that came from... So I'll be seeing you later?"

Anko was still a bit confounded, but shrugged and gave a short smile, "Yeah, sure. See ya." With that, she turned around and left his apartment.

* * *

Naruto left his apartment sometime after eating breakfast and getting dressed. He headed for the Hokage tower, setting his mind on getting things over with.

Once he entered the building, he relaxed his heartbeat as he navigated his way to her office. Once he reached it, he saw that her office door was open. Tsunade was behind her desk, distracted by paperwork, as usual.

He hesitated before stepping inside, "...Tsunade-sama?"

The blonde Hokage looked up, not expecting to see Naruto, regarding the way she was addressed, "Oh, Naruto... I was wondering what happened to you. I haven't heard from you since..."

Naruto nodded, "I know. What happened on my last mission is actually what I want to talk to you about."

Tsunade placed her papers on her desk and gave him her full attention, "Alright. What is it you want to tell me?"

Just then, everyone's attention shifted to the door that opened behind Naruto. In it, walked Ino Yamanaka.

Naruto and Tsunade looked at her carefully and frowned. The first thing that they noticed was the bags under her eyes. Her usual lusterous platinum blonde hair was a bit dull and lacking life. It was a bit more untidy as she usually kept it, as if she carelessly brushed it before leaving her home. Her face seemed tired and stressed, seemingly aging as if she were a middle-aged woman.

"You've requested to see me, Hokage-sama?" She asked, her voice lacking her usual peppy tone.

Tsunade frowned, but nodded, "Yes. I just wanted to know how you're feeling..."

Ino shrugged, barely making any eye contact, "Okay, I guess."

There was a slight pause in the room before Tsunade spoke again, "Actually, I'm glad I have both of you here right now." Naruto wondered what she meant by that, "Now, as busy as I always am due to me being Hokage, I shouldn't be doing this. But I care about both of you a lot, since you, Ino, are one of my favorite apprentices, and you, Naruto, are like the son I never had."

Ino and Naruto said nothing as Tsunade took a brief pause, "...I noticed that neither of you showed up to Sakura's funeral."

...Ino broke down.

Tsunade could tell that she tried to hold it in, but failed. She fell onto her knees and dove her face into her palms, sobbing. Naruto's immediate reaction was to kneel beside her, holding both her shoulders in a consoling manner.

The Hokage sighed and took a deep breath, regretting her choice of words, "I know, Ino, I know exactly how you feel. But this is something that I feel we should discuss."

Ino eventually gained some of her composer and stood up, with Naruto's assistance. She nodded and wiped her tears while giving a short apology.

Tsunade cleared her throat, knowing that she was going to give a somewhat long speech, "Deaths of loved ones is something that most, if not, all shinobi will experience at least once in their life. Most of the time, they will happen unexpectedly. And as a result, it will cause a lot of stress, pain, and even heartache. You were taught in the academy, or by your Jounin instructors, to prepare for such scenarios since shinobi frequently risk their own lives for the sake of the village. However, that is very difficult for many people, and when it actually happens, it can cause a lot of pain." Tsunade chose her next words carefully, "I know Sakura meant alot to everyone in this room, including me. But she's in a better place now. And now she can watch over us as we continue on with our lives."

Then two other blondes said nothing. Tsunade shifted most o her attention to Ino, "And the same applies to Asuma." At this, Ino gave a wimper, like she close to bawling out with tears again.

Naruto gave a shocked look to Tsunade. He was wise enough to give her a nonverbal look that said, _"Asuma's dead?"_. Tsunade nodded to his reaction.

_"So that must be what Sakura was talking about..."_ Naruto thought.

Tsunade sighed, "They will be missed. Asuma was a fine shinobi, and Sakura was a great kunoichi. But they knew, that accepting their headbands meant that they would end up this way. And since they... left from performing missions for the benefit of the village, I can say that I'm very proud to call them Konoha-nin. And I'm sure the both of you feel the same way."

Ino still had streams falling down her cheeks, but nodded, as did Naruto.

"I know you both are sad. And hurting a lot on the inside. There's no true way to avoid those feelings, but all I can say is to try be happy. Asuma and Sakura wouldn't enjoy seeing you guys hurt, so do them a favor and be happy that you got to share portions of your lives with such great people."

Naruto nodded.

"...Tsunade-sama."

"Yes, Ino?"

"I wish to be relieved from my kunoichi duties."

Tsunade and Naruto were not prepared to hear her say such a thing.

"...I-Ino, I understand that you may feel-"

"With all due respect, Tsunade-sama, I don't want to talk about this anymore. I wish to hand in my title as a kunoichi."

The room fell silent.

"...Ino-chan, you can't just quit like th-"

"Naruto, with all due respect, I'm not looking for any opinions. This is my decision."

Naruto reluctantly backed off.

Ino untied her hitai-ate from around her neck and held it out for Tsunade to take.

The Godaime looked Ino straight in the eyes, "Are you sure you want to do this? You know that once you give me that headband, you wont be getting another one..."

Ino hesitated, "...I know."

Tsunade closed her eyes and slowly took the headband.

She then looked at Ino sympathetically. She saw Ino's hesitation when giving up her headband, "How about this? How about I give you the rest of the day to think about this decision? You can ask for this back if you change your mind by tomorrow before sunset. But if I don't see you by then, I'll assume that you're sure about this decision and will officially dispatch you from our shinobi ranks. Deal?"

Ino was silent in thought for a brief moment, "Okay, Tsunade-sama. May I be dismissed now?"

Tsunade nodded with a frown. Ino turned around and left out of the office.

"I can't let her do this." Naruto said. He turned for the door, only to be stopped.

"Naruto, you shouldn't interfere. It's her decision if she wants to quit being a kunoichi, you don't have a right to stop her."

"But she can still be a great kunoichi! She shouldn't quit just because she's depressed!"

"Naruto..." Tsunade mumbled. She loved the fact that he cares so much for his friends, but she feels he needs to learn that he can't change everything, "I don't want to see Ino quit, either. But even with my title as Hokage, I can't stop her if she wants to be a regular citizen of Konoha now."

Naruto's mindset had always been a stubborn one, "...Well I just can't sit here and let her do that."

With that, he was out the door, "Naruto, wai-! Ugh..." She sighed, thinking that she can't stop him now. She actually could stop him, but a big part of her wanted him to do what he was doing.


	7. Chapter 7

"Leave me alone, Naruto." Ino said firmly, never breaking her stride. She had a feeling he'd come after her.

Naruto caught up to a speed-walking Ino, now matching her pace, "You can't do this."

Ino tried not to pay him any mind.

Naruto, seeing how he wasn't getting any results, walked ahead of her, then stopped directly in her path, face to face.

She stopped, gave him a small glare, then took tried side stepping to walk around him. Naruto matched her movements with one of his own, blocking her.

"Naruto, move." She said.

"After we sit down and have a talk."

"In the middle of the street?" She snapped back a bit harshly.

"Of course not, just... let's go somewhere more private so I can talk to you."

She huffed and crossed her arms, "Naruto, I already told you, and Tsunade-sama, I do not want to talk about this anymore. I meant every word I said back in her office. So can you move? I'm late for my shift at the flower shop."

Naruto crossed his arms as well, "It's Sunday."

"So?"

"Even I know that the flower shop is closed on Sundays, Ino."

The Yamanaka sighed again, pinching the bridge between her nose, "Naruto, please move."

"Not unless you talk to me."

"I told you at least three times already. I. Don't. Want to. Talk. About it."

Naruto looked her straight in the eyes, "Then I guess we'll be standing here all day then."

Ino closed her eyes and fought back a growl, "Naruto, I'm seriously not in the mood. You're going to make me do something I don't want to do."

"Like what? Fight me?"

"Just move, Naruto, shit."

"Why don't you want to talk about it?"

"Why do you _want_ to talk about it?!" Ino was getting really upset now, "We're not even good friends! We're comrades from the same village and academy class, not much else more than that. So why do you insist on getting in my business, trying to change the decisions in my life that have nothing to do with you?!"

People passing them in the street started to stare.

"I'll answer those questions if you let me talk to you." Was his reply.

Ino groaned/growled loudly.

"God, you're so damn stubborn! What part of 'no' don't you understand?! Get out of my way, Naruto, or this is going to end worse than it has to."

Naruto was as sturdy as a boulder, "So be it. I'm not giving up until you talk to me."

Ino took out a kunai.

She cocked her hand back, looking intently at Naruto's thigh, planning not to kill or seriously injure him, but to impair him so he can't chase her.

Her eyes then made contact with Naruto's. He was just standing there, with crossed arms. Staring back at her. Not moving the least bit, even as he saw the kunai aimed at him.

But it was the look he sent her. It made her question what she was doing right now.

After a very suspenseful pause, Ino slowly put her kunai away.

She sighed, "...Let's go to the flower shop. No one will be there."

* * *

Once both Naruto and Ino were inside of the Yamanaka Flower Shop, Ino closed the door, making sure the closed sign was on the right side.

Naruto leaned against the reception counter of the store and turned around to face Ino with crossed arms.

"I'm not changing my decision." Ino stated, crossing her arms as well.

"Why do you want to just throw away everything you worked almost four years on?" he asked.

Ino took a breath, "If you're that set on wanting to know, then I'll tell you. I don't want to be a kunoichi anymore because... my best friend... is dead. My rival... is dead. Sakura was someone I not only looked up to, but wanted to surpass. She was my drive, she motivated me to be better, not only as a kunoichi, but as a person. It's been that way ever since we were kids. Sakura is my main reason for being a kunoichi. And now that she's gone... it's like... what's the point anymore?"

"But you can't just give up like this... Being a kunoichi or shinobi is much more than competing with your rivals and friends. I learned that sometime after Sasuke left the village. We do this to serve our village. To protect it, and make sure we stay the strongest village out there. I understand that Sakura's death can have a toll on you, but quitting your job as a kunoichi isn't the answer. Both of my teammates are gone now. I'll eventually bring Sasuke back, but right now I'm the only one on my team, aside from Kakashi-sensei. Even Sai is dead now. Yet, you don't see me quitting. I want to continue being a shinobi, not only because I want to bring Sasuke back to Konoha and become Hokage, but because I know Sakura wouldn't like it if I just quit. And I know she won't like to see you quitting as well." Naruto said carefully.

Ino hung and shook her head. Two tear drops left her face and hit the hardwood floor below her.

"...You don't understand, Naruto." she mumbles. Her voice was starting to crack, "You're so much stronger than I am. Everyone in my graduating year is. I don't think that I was ever meant for this kunoichi business. I'm so weak, and I'm just now realizing it..."

"Stop it." Naruto told her, "You're not weak! You-"

"Who the hell are you kidding, Naruto?!" she exploded, "I'm the weakest one out of everybody in our graduating class! Everyone has passed me, Shikamaru, Chouji, you, Sasuke, Hinata, Sakura, everyone! Whenever my team and I would train, even Asuma-sensei thought I could use the most work to improve myself! Every mission I've been on that forced us to fight, I was always the one that had to get saved! This shit is too dangerous for me, Naruto. Sakura was so much stronger than me, yet she died right on the battlefield. If she died at such an early point in her career as a kunoichi, who's to say that I wont end up just like her tomorrow?"

"You wont end up like her, Ino."

"How do you know that." she said flatly, "Shinobi and kunoichi live very short lives if you haven't noticed, Naruto, even the strong ones. The First Hokage died at a really young age, and so did the Second and Fourth. I don't wanna die young, Naruto. I want to live a long life; get married, have kids, watch them grow up. And Sakura's death made me realize that if she died at such a young age, it's almost set in stone that the same will happen to a weakling like me."

"That's bullshit, Ino!" Naruto shouted, "You're not weak! You're just not the up close and personal kind of kunoichi like Sakura! You're the kind of kunoichi that is supposed to stay at the edge of the battlefield, assisting your teammates from a distance. There are a lot of shinobi like that, and it doesn't make you any less stronger than any other kunoichi. You can take over people's minds, Ino! Do you know how cool that is? And you have Baa-chan's medical training, too. Yes, you're not really cut out for direct combat, but that isn't what makes someone a kunoichi or a shinobi. Your strength lies within your heart, not your combat abilities."

"But Sakura-"

"Yes, Sakura died on a mission. But your fate isn't connected to hers. You both are two different people, and honestly, I feel like I'm talking to Neji, before I fought him in the Chuunin Exams."

"But he was different, he believed that no one could escape their fate. I know I can change mine, and I know that I can avoid dying at a young age by handing in my Hitai-ate, and living a simpler life. I'll still be of use to my village by working in this flower shop, and I'll even volunteer at the hospital every now and then, but I just don't want to be a kunoichi anymore."

Naruto took a brief pause, "...Can I ask you something?"

"..."

"How do you think Sakura would feel about you doing this?"

Ino looked away, "Look... I know she wouldn't be particularly proud of what I'm doing... But she has to understand that I'm keeping myself safe. I know I'm not the hands-on kind of kunoichi, but there will be a time where I'll have to defend myself on my own, and I'm just not too confident that I can do that. If Sakura couldn't, then..."

"...Sakura didn't die on the battlefield."

Ino paused.

"...What?"

Naruto took a deep breath, "Sakura didn't die at the hands of the enemy during our mission."

Ino could only stare at him. She knew that he was on that mission, as well, so he couldn't have had false information. And she had enough experience in the T&I Department of Konoha to be able to tell that Naruto wasn't lying.

"...So how did she die?"

"..."

"..."

"... I killed her."

The gasp that was produced from Ino left her winded.

"Wh-what...? What do you mean... You killed her?"

Naruto rubbed his forehead, regretting his decision of telling Ino the truth.

"I know you know about me being container of the Kyuubi. While we were fighting Orochimaru, too much of the Kyuubi's chakra leaked out and I lost control of its power. I blacked out, and when I came to, Yamato-sensei told me that Sakura was in critical condition, and that I was the one who attacked her."

"..."

"..."

...Ino drew her kunai.

She lunged for Naruto, aiming to pierce his chest with the sharp blade. Naruto managed to hold and restrain Ino's wrists, just before the tip of the kunai touched his jacket.

"You fucking monster!" She shouted, using all her strength in an attempt to harm Naruto, "How can you go about killing off your own teammate like that?!"

"It was an accident!" Naruto shouted, pushing Ino off him, with Naruto being the stronger blonde. She lunged for him again, but this time Naruto caught the hand with the weapon and maneuvered Ino so that he had her in a full-nelson, rendering her harmless. Her arms fought against his and she tried kicking to get out if his grip, but to no avail.

"Let me go!" She yelled, "I ought to kill you for what you did! Sakura was your teammate, our comrade!"

"Damn it, Ino, don't you think I know that?!" Naruto shouted back, "I feel horrible for what happened! I didn't mean to do it, it was something that I had no control of!"

Ino didn't calm down one bit.

"Sakura meant a lot to me too, Ino! You know I would never intentionally hurt her! I've been feeling like shit for the past few days because of it! Why do you think I didn't go to her funeral?! I felt like I didn't even deserve to be there!"

Ino's movements eventually slowed to a halt. Once Naruto was sure she didn't have anymore fight in her, he let her arms go. Ino collapsed onto the floor on her knees, her face buried into her hands.

"...How could you, Naruto..." She sobbed, "You were supposed to protect her..."

"Ino... Listen, I know that I was supposed to protect her and keep her from harm. She meant a lot to me too. And I've felt so guilty about everything over the past few days, I was starting to feel suicidal. But I swear to you, it wasn't intentional. I just blanked, and the Kyuubi took over. It was nobody's fault in particular, it was something unfortunate that occurred very suddenly." He placed a hand on Ino's shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Ino. If I could take my life in place of hers, I would. And I don't know if saying any of this will make you hate me any less, but... you have to understand that it wasn't on purpose."

For the next few minutes, only Ino's sobs filled the room.

* * *

**_*Later that day*_**

Anko walked down a road of Konoha, having just left Konoha's general hospital. Kurenai heard about Asuma's death. What's even worse, is that she found that out the same day she was going to tell him she's pregnant with his child. Anko had only went to Kurenai's house to see if she left her lucky kunai there, but was surprised to see Kurenai on the ground, crying. Anko gave her a shoulder to cry on, then escorted her to the hospital, since Kurenai wanted to see Asuma one last time and tell him about the baby, whether he were still alive or not.

The whole situation gave Anko a headache. She felt bad for her, yes, but didn't like it when people cried. Especially not people she cares about, which was only a handful.

After turning a corner, Anko spotted Naruto exiting out of the Yamanaka flower shop. She noticed how much she's been running into him lately.

"Oi, Naruto." She called and Naruto turned around.

"O-Oh, Anko... What's up?"

"I've been better." She says, "What about you? You look kinda... Off."

Naruto lets out a sigh, "I'm just stressed. Got a lot on my mind..."

"That makes two of us." She breathes, "Wanna have a few drinks with me?"

"I thought you didn't like it when I drink."

"I never said that. I just don't want you throwing your life away like a buffoon. Ain't nothing wrong with having a few drinks every now and then." She tells him, "So, are you coming with me or not?"

Naruto gave it some thought before answering. Maybe a few drinks could help his mind ease up a little, "Sure."

* * *

Anko and Naruto returned to the same bar that she found Naruto three days ago. The bartender almost gave Naruto trouble regarding him drinking at this bar again, but Anko covered his back, having known the owner for a while.

After consuming a few shots of strong alcohol, while sharing a few stories and laughs, the pair went over to the pool table. Naruto foolishly challenged her, not knowing of Anko's exemplary aim and precision.

He lost five games in a row.

Naruto gave up after his fifth loss and offered to have a few more drinks with her.

Naruto was at his seventh shot, while Anko was at her ninth. They both sported intoxicated blushes on their faces, although Anko's blush was a lot more saturated and noticeable.

Now absolutely drunk, Anko lost all morality for what she wanted to talk about, "Ugh... God, that's some strong shit..." She mumbled with slurred speech.

Naruto swallowed his next shot, following after with a similar reaction. He had a good buzz going, finding it harder to become intoxicated with Kyuubi's healing factor.

She focused her dizzy eyes at Naruto then sent him a wink.

Naruto blushed, and it wasn't because of the alcohol.

"Hey Naruto-kuuuuunn..." She thought she was whispering, but really wasn't, "You're kinda cute, ya know that...?"

"Er... Thanks, Anko-chan... You-"

Anko places a lazy finger over his lips, "Don't call me Anko-chan. Makes my name sound too girly." She says with a grin.

"Gotcha..." He mumbles.

She downed yet another drink, hissing at the burning sensation going down her throat.

She then starts to chuckle, "Ya know, I probably wouldn't say this if I were sober, but... I kinda have a crush on you..." She admits with another wink.

Naruto blushes again, "R-Really...?"

Anko's voice was now husky, dripping with lust, "Mm-hmm... I noticed it when I saw you training the other day... You're really sexy for a Genin." She grinned and leaned forward on her stool, placing her lips less than a centimeter away from his ear.

"Remember when you grabbed my ass in here a few days ago...? If you were to do that again, I'm pretty sure I won't hit you this time..." She whispered hotly in his ear, nibbling on his earlobe right after.

Naruto sported a blush equal to Hinata's, stammering with his words as he tried to think of something to say. She still nibbled on his ear, gently giving it a small lick after.

She's now directly in his face, rubbing his thigh, "Hehehe... Cat's got your tongue?"

Naruto nods. He wondered how things escalated to this so quickly. He noticed Anko subtly flirting with him by the time they got to the pool table, but now the way she's talking is just plain lecherous.

Anko laughs lustily, bringing her hand higher up his thigh, "If you want me to stop, just say the word."

Naruto said nothing.

"That's what I thought..."

She then gave his manhood a small grope before departing her hand away. She sighs happily and orders one more shot for both her and Naruto. They both down it at the same time.

Next, she gives him a very suggestive look, standing up out of her stool, "Hows about we leave and go back to my place to, you know, cuddle like we did before...?"

Naruto couldn't find it in himself to refuse such an offer. He hesitantly nods, and Anko grabs his hand, dragging him out of the bar.

* * *

Anko manages to open the door to her apartment after fumbling with her keys a few times. She steps inside, pulling Naruto inside before her. She closes and locks the door, then turns around and leans on the door, looking at Naruto with low-lidded eyes.

Naruto had to admit; she looked tempting.

"Mm... Naruto-kun..." She breathed hotly, "You're single, right...?"

"Y-Yeah..." He sputtered. Anko grinned. She found his nervousness cute.

"That makes two of us..." She tells him, "Come here."

Naruto hesitantly does as he's told and approaches Anko.

She then grabs him, switching spots with him in a flash. He was pressed against the door now, with Anko holding his wrists above his head.

"I really like you, Naruto-kun... You don't seem like a typical guy. You're strong, dedicated, got a nice sense of morality... Not to mention how sexy you are..." She purrs, looking deep into his eyes with her lowered ones. Her body felt hot for more than one reason, and her blush looked as if it painted across her face.

"Ah... Thanks, Anko-chan..." He mumbles. She sends him a devious smirk.

Then crashes her lips onto his.

Naruto's heart must have stopped for at least three whole seconds as Anko suddenly began kissing him. It wasn't something he complained about, but definitely wasn't expecting.

Soon, he got over his shock and started kissing Anko back. He found that her lips tasted like alcohol. But then again, so did his. She was very direct and superior with the way she kisses, he noticed. She dominated his lips with her own, and the fact that she had his hands pinned above his head gave her even more power in this position.

She didn't even hold back in sliding her tongue in his mouth. That was when the electricity sparked. Their bodies went from warm to hot as they engaged in a tongue battle, a battle that Naruto wasn't winning.

Neither Naruto or Anko are the tidiest of kissers, so it was only natural that a line of saliva was formed between them once Anko departed away from his mouth.

She looked at the expression on his face and gave an aroused chuckle, "I told you to never call me Anko-chan."

It was then that Anko noticed something poking her.

Her grin grew wider, knowing what it was. She placed a hand on the groin of his pants, feeling it through the fabric, "Is this because of me...?" She teases. Naruto nods. Anko chuckles again, then gives him another small make out session, this time, feeling him up and down.

Naruto let out a small groan when she broke the kiss. Anko loved having him in the palm of her hand, in more than one sense.

"I've been wondering lately... How big is it?"

Naruto looked at her, "Huh?"

"You heard me. How big-" she gave him a small squeeze, "-is your little friend down here? Six inches? Five?"

"S-Seven..." He answers. Anko could only laugh devilishly.

"Ooh, my my... That's big for someone so young. You wouldn't happen to be lying to me, eh Naruto-kun?"

"No..."

"Mm, would you mind if I found that out myself...?" She half-whispers. Before Naruto could even answer, Anko already had his pants and boxers around his ankles.

Naruto couldn't help but blush. Her impetuousness was making him nervous.

She stared down at the tool between Naruto's legs and didn't feel any sense of dissatisfaction at what she saw.

"Ooh yesss... That'll do just fine..." She purred, as she gripped the hard and warm organ, pumping it at a moderate pace. Naruto sighed as she jerked him.

"Ugh... A-Anko, wait..."

She grins, "What's wrong, Naruto-kun? Don't you want me? I certainly want you..."

Anko lined her mouth up to his ear, and the next thing she said sent shivers down his spine, "There's a lot of things I wanna do to you, Naruto..."

She pulled back and grinned at the face of pure pleasure he was making now that she was stroking him faster, "Mmn... Seeing you like this is making me really wet, Naruto... Wanna see...?" She then releases his other hand and guides it under her skirt, allowing it to feel the moist panties underneath, "See...? I soaked my panties and it's all your fault..." She moans.

Naruto and Anko engaged in more heavy petting until Anko moved his hand away. She fell onto her knees in front of him, pumping his meat directly in front of her face.

"Anko... Are you about to...?" Naruto asks incredulously.

She smirks up at him, "Suck your dick?" she supplies the answer. "Heh, maybe. I hope you don't mind. I don't do this to guys unless I really like them, so this is the first time I've ever did it before..." She opens her mouth and leans forward. But before any part of her mouth makes contact with Naruto's genitals, she stops and looks up at him.

Naruto's heart was beating rapidly. He felt her breath graze the tip of his flesh, teasing him beyond belief, "... And by the way, I'm know I'm drunk, and I probably wouldn't be doing this if I was sober. But screw it, I really do like you, and I'm feeling kinda adventurous today." She says with a wink, "So don't feel guilty about any of this."

Naruto was winded by a wet and warm sensation surrounding the tip of his penis. He groaned as Anko looked up at him to smirk at his face.

"Ugh... A-Anko-chan... I-"

He suddenly felt Anko's teeth pressing onto his manhood. It wasn't a hard bite, but a firm and playful one.

"What did I say about calling me Anko-chan?" She teases. She then goes back to her task in pleasing Naruto with her mouth. Naruto accidentally bangs his head against the door.

Anko slowly started accelerating the movements of her head, using plenty of saliva that started to slowly slide down her chin, as well as off the shaft of Naruto's dick. The sensation was phenomenal for Naruto, as he found it hard to keep his breathing steady. Her tongue worked magic on the head and shaft of his cock, as she sucked on him with much vigor.

Naruto almost asked her if she was sure this was the first time she'd ever done this. He looked down at her, and saw a sight that almost made him reach the edge right then and there. Her eyes were closed, and her eyebrows were squeezed together, showing how focused she was in pleasing him. Her blush spread horizontally across her face like an equator, as a result from the alcohol and her own arousal.

"Mmm... Hmm-mmn..." Anko hummed around his shaft. She never performed oral sex on another man before, despite a few rumors around Konoha, but Anko found this experience to be exciting and arousing. She loved hearing his groans, as well as the sensation of his dick going in and out of her mouth. She wasn't sure if she liked it this much because she truly enjoyed it, or if it has anything to do with her level of intoxication.

"A-Anko..." Naruto breathed suddenly, "Gonna cum..."

To the disappointment of Naruto, that was Anko's signal for her to stop. She knew it was torture for her her to stop while he was at the brink of climax, but she had other plans.

She looked at his twitching and saliva-covered dick with a smirk, then looked up at him, "Sorry, Naruto-kun. I don't want you blowing your load just yet... Not before I get to have some fun, too." She then stands up, takes off her Hitai-ate and undoes her abnormally-styled ponytail, letting her hair flow a bit past her shoulders.

Next, she strips off her trench coat. Then her skirt, then her panties, which were damp with her juices.

Then, to Naruto's surprise, she rips the torso area of her mesh bodysuit from her collar, down to her waist. Anko's full breasts are now exposed, which is quite a rare sight to behold for anyone in Konoha.

To Naruto, seeing Anko essentially nude, directly in front of him was a breathtaking sight.

"Mhm... Like what you see?" Anko teases, striking a sexy pose.

Naruto could only nod.

Anko gives a dirty chuckle and presses herself against him, sandwiching his hard flagpole between each other, "Now before I give you the best night of your life... We have to reach an agreement."

All the while, Anko was grinding herself onto him, rubbing her lower abdomen against his dick, "What agreement...?" He asked, fighting back a moan.

"I don't have sex with anyone I'm not committed to, I made that promise to myself a while back. And I have to admit Naruto... I'm rubbing off on the idea of you being my new boyfriend." Naruto was surprised to hear this, something that Anko noticed, "I know that I'm kinda drunk, and I may not seem like the 'girlfriend type', but I have been thinking about this for a while, and I've come to the conclusion that we'd make a kickass couple, no?" She says with a smirk.

"So... You're asking me to be your boyfriend?" Naruto says slowly.

Anko rolls her eyes, "Kami, you're slow. What do I have to do, write it out for ya? Yes, I'm asking you to be my boyfriend." She then pokes him in the nose and gives another wink, "So whaddya say?"

After some thought, "Sure... I'd love to be your boyfriend."

Naruto then takes the lead this time and grabs Anko by the waist, kissing her firmly. Anko, although a bit surprised by this, just sits back and threads her fingers in his hair, returning the kiss with just as much vigor.

Soon, the pair find themselves on Anko's bed with Naruto on top. His hands roamed and groped all over Anko's body, and Anko was loving it. His lips disconnected from hers, then attacked her neck, something that made Anko moan.

"Naruto-kun..." She sighed, locking her legs around him, "Put it in... I want to be your first."

At those words, Naruto stopped all efforts in pleasing Anko.

She wondered why he's now just sitting still like this, "Naruto...? C'mon, what're you waiting for?"

Naruto sighed, "I can't do this."

He then pulls back, leaving a very confused, and somewhat irritated Anko lying on the bed.

"What do you mean you can't do this?" She asks, "Is it because you're a virgin?"

He looked her straight in the eyes, "That's the thing... I'm not really a virgin..."

"Oh." Said Anko, following after with a shrug, "So? I don't mind that much. And wouldn't that make things easi-"

"Anko."

"What?"

"I lost my virginity today." He tells her.

Anko pauses, allowing this to sink in, "...Today?"

Naruto nodded, "Before you invited me to drink with you, I had sex with someone a few minutes beforehand."

"...That Yamanaka girl." Anko mumbles, now connecting the dots on why she saw him stepping out of the Yamanaka flower shop so late, which was also closed on Sundays.

Naruto hesitated, "...Yeah. I'm not dating her or anything, and I'm not really sure how everything happened, actually... But it did. And I would feel wrong if I-"

"Get out."

"Huh?"

"I said get out." Anko repeated, "Get out! Get the hell outta my apartment!"

"Anko, wait, if you'd just-"

Naruto felt a sharp pain against his cheek, followed by the warm sensation of blood slowly gliding down his skin.

He heard the kunai hit the wall behind him, and stared at Anko with surprise, as she held another kunai, "I didn't miss, I only scratched your face on purpose. If I have to say it again after this, I'm going to leave more than just a scratch." She told him darkly, "Get. Out."

Naruto saw it in her eyes that she was serious. No more words were spoken as she watched Naruto gather his clothes and belongings and leave the apartment. He sent her one last look before stepping out the door, which she responded with a glare.

Once she heard the door close, she let out a frustrated yell, then buried her face into her pillow. Tears began to fall, and it confused Anko why that was. There was a heavy pressure in her chest that she wasn't familiar with. The fact that she's feeling this way made her even more upset, causing more tears to fall. She wasn't exactly to sure what she was feeling, nor was she sure if the alcohol had anything to do with it, but she knew it hurt.

That night, for the first time in many years, Anko Mitarashi gently cried herself to sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

_**A/N - Hello all. :) ****This is the part where I respond to**** reviews and such, so if you just want to get to the story, simply scroll past the bold/italic text until you've reached the next horizontal line.**_

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_kikolock - "Awesome story - first NaruAnko I've read and though I didn't really see how such characters could work, you handled it perfectly. I found them convincing and true to the show, and i loved the twist with Ino at the end of this chapter. One thing I would say though is whilst I thought it was well-written you keep switching between past and present tense, which is incorrect and does make the narration sound kinda jumpy and unprofessional. Besides that, top fucking class!"_

**_My response - Thank you so much :) and I never noticed up until you said that, how I switch between the past and present tense in my writing! I feel dumb lol, but thank you for informing me of that, and now I'll try to focus on knowing when to use either tense._  
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* * *

_***Three hours ago***_

Naruto let Ino sob for a few more minutes before he said something, "Ino, I'm sorry." He apologized for the umpteenth time.

"Everyone I care about is leaving me..." She whimpered between sighs, "First Asuma-sensei, now Sakura... Who's next, Chouji? Shikamaru? My dad...?"

Naruto didn't know what to say.

Ten more minutes must have passed as Ino sat there crying, with Naruto rubbing her shoulders comfortingly while whispering small things like "It's okay."

"...I didn't mean to call you a monster..." She mumbled suddenly.

Naruto sighed, "It's fine, Ino-chan."

"I know you must go through a lot, being the container of... That thing. And I can't blame you for what happened, I know that you'd never do anything like that on purpose... I'm sorry, Naruto."

Naruto nodded, accepting her apology.

Things were quiet again until, "... You're a friend to me, Ino."

She sniffled, "... Huh?"

"You asked me why do I care about something you're going through that has nothing to do with me... And I told you I'd answer that if I got you to talk to me."

Ino turned her watery eyes toward him, "I care because... You're a friend to me. I know we may not hang out, or even talk much, but we've known each other for more than three years. We've went on a few missions together, had a few laughs, had each other's back... Shikamaru and Chouji are some of my childhood friends too, even as I first enrolled in the academy. Sakura was one of my best friends, so I at least think you're a friend of mine through association."

Despite her tears, Ino gave a small chuckle.

"Even if I didn't really think of you as a friend, I don't think I could just let you toss your headband away like that. We're comrades, Ino, whether you like it or not. The main reason people call me annoying is because I care more about others than most people do."

"I see..." Replied Ino, "That's very kind of you. But... You can't change my decisions for me, Naruto. While I admire your determination to change anything you feel is wrong, people have to live there own lives, and make their own decisions."

"I know... But I couldn't just let you do this... At least not without a fight." He said with a small smile.

"You're such a knucklehead." She mumbled with no sting in her tone. "...But thanks for being there for me, Naruto. I can only count on one hand how many people would go such an extreme to change a decision I could possibly regret."

Naruto nodded, "So... Are you still going to quit...?"

Ino sighed, "...Yes."

"But...!" Naruto stopped himself, remembering the discussion they had a few moments ago, "...Okay. I tried everything in my power to convince you..."

Ino frowned, "I know you may not agree with my decision, but it is my decision, Naruto."

"I know, I know..." He stood up, as did Ino. He looked her right in her eyes, "I'm going to miss you."

"I'm not going anywhere, Naruto!" She said, trying to cheer him up, "We'll still see each other around the village. I'll still be working here and at the hospital. We just won't be paired up on missions together anymore. It's not like we were paired up often anyway."

"I guess..." Naruto mumbled, "Um... I guess I'll leave now." Just before Naruto touched the door handle-

"Naruto, wait..." He turns around to look at her, "Does... Does Tsunade-sama know?"

Naruto shook his head, "I was about to tell her, until you came into the office..."

She saw his eyes. From the point where he stopped her after leaving the Hokage tower up until now, she never actually looked at his eyes. They held pain. And remorse. It wasn't something that was completely and physically visible to the human eye, but she could tell that those emotions were there.

"...And you said that you were feeling... suicidal?"

Naruto nodded, "Yeah. I feel a lot better now, though."

"I see... Well, at least y- Oh my God, you're bleeding!" She suddenly noticed the drops of blood on the ground, coming from the sleeve of his left arm. She realized she must have accidentally cut him while they grappled around with a kunai in her hand.

Naruto looked at his arm, unaware of the wound himself. He rolled up his sleeve, spotting trails of blood down the back of his arm, which trailed from his tricep.

"Oh, so I am." He said nonchalantly. It wasn't a major wound, just a horizontal cut that tore through his coat and skin.

Ino hurried over to him and grabbed his wrist to properly view the wound, "Ugh, I cut an artery, that's why you're bleeding so much... I'm sorry Naruto, I promise I didn't mean to!"

He simply shrugged, " It's okay Ino-chan, I don't even feel it."

"We have to heal that cut, you're going to lose a lot of blood if we... It's... already healed...? Ino insinuated after placing her mystic palm over the wound.

Naruto gave a small smile, "Heh, I said I was fine. I'm a fast healer."

"But that's... insane! The human body can't heal an artery on it's own that fast, no matter how fast a healer you are!"

"Well... Being container of the Kyuubi has its perks sometimes." He told her. "Honestly, if it weren't for this stupid demon, I think I'd be dead right now."

Ino only looked at him in awe, she was speechless. "...W-Well, we still have to get you to heal faster... We don't want any more spots of blood on the floor..." She uttered, channeling her chakra into her hand to heal him.

"Yeah, sorry 'bout that."

"It's my fault... I was the one being stupid, trying to come at you with a kunai..." She said, "I'm really sorry for that, Naruto-kun. I just... I was only thinking about myself, I didn't even consider your feelings..."

"It's okay, Ino-chan."

"No, I've really been acting selfish... The only thing on my mind was how Sakura's death affected me... I didn't stop to think how you could possibly feel about it..."

Naruto said nothing. Not a moment later, Naruto's cut was healed completely.

_"Amazing... I've never seen anyone heal like that..."_ She thought.

Naruto, now seeing that his arm was healed, lowered it, "Thanks, Ino-chan."

"No need to thank me, I'm the one to blame for it anyway." She said. She then gets up and grabs a small towel from the back of the store, handing it to Naruto to wipe his arm with. Ino then cleaned the floor to rid the spots of blood on it.

"Listen, Naruto..." She started after disposing of the towel, "If you need anything... You can always come to me. I didn't mean what I said about us not being close... I mean, we're technically not close, but... I just..."

Naruto gave a small chuckle, "I know what you mean, Ino-chan. And thanks, that means a lot."

She gave a small sad smile, then it turns into a full blown frown, "I can't stop thinking about Sakura... I just can't believe she's gone now..."

Naruto saw her shoulders slump, then went in for a hug. He wrapped her arms around her securely, something that caught Ino a bit off guard. Despite this, she lifted her arms to hug him back.

"I know, I can't believe it either. But... She's in a better place now."

Ino started crying again.

Naruto closed his eyes and held her tighter, something he felt could help her feel better.

"It hurts though, Naruto..."

"...I know it does, it still hurts me too."

The blondes didn't know how long they were in this position, but Ino pulled her head off of Naruto's jacket once she felt her tears running dry.

Naruto looked at her, then wiped her tears away with his thumb.

They didn't know why they did it.

It could have just been the heat of the moment.

But how they ended up in a passionate liplock was somewhat beyond them.

Once they simultaneously realized what they were doing, they pulled back, with very saturated blushes spread on their features.

They wanted to say something to each other, but didn't know what to say.

They didn't know if what they're doing is wrong or right.

Or why they were doing it.

It just happened.

Their lips hesitantly pressed against each other again, only this time, they didn't separate until one or the other ended up removing an article of clothing.

No more words were spoken for the next half hour.

Only moans and groans echoed throughout the back of the empty flower shop.

* * *

**_*Present*_**

Anko Mitarashi wakes up in a very unhappy mood. Not only does her dispute with Naruto last night re-continue to roam through her thoughts, but her hangover isn't exactly making things any better.

She kicks the sheets off of her, allowing the cool afternoon air to brush against her still somewhat bare skin. She didn't bother changing before she fell asleep, only a lone, half torn mesh body suit still clings to her frame.

She sits up on her bed, holding her throbbing head as it pulses painfully in tune with her heartbeat. She was about to just say 'screw it' and go back to sleep for a few more hours, that is until she hears a knock at her door.

She curses under her breath, "Whaddya want?!" She barks at her door.

"It's me, Kurenai."

Anko sighs. Kurenai is the one person she can't act hostile to, even if she is in a bad mood. Besides, she knows that Kurenai is going through some tough times right now, and no matter how drunk, pissed off, or hung over she was, Anko can't just brush her off like most people.

For some reason, she was expecting it to be Naruto that was knocking.

Whether she wanted it to be him or not.

Anko groans as she stands up, "I'll be right there, just a minute." She half-staggers to the door of her apartment, holding her blood-rushed head with one hand. She reaches for the door and opens it, revealing Kurenai in the door frame.

"Hey Anko, I- Oh my! Anko!" Kurenai turns her head away and covers a hand in front of her eyes with a blush upon looking at her longtime friend.

Just as Anko wonders what her deal is, she realizes that she still didn't get dressed after she got up out of bed.

"Ah shit... Er, just come in and wait for a moment while I get dressed."

Kurenai slowly nods and steps in the apartment, closing the door behind her with her hand remaining in front of her eyes.

Anko goes to her closet and puts on a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt. Just something to hide her nude frame, since she still didn't shower yet.

"You can look now." Says Anko. Kurenai peeks through her fingers to make sure, then puts her hand down once she no longer sees any inappropriate skin showing.

"Well, that certainly was a surprise." Kurenai mumbles with an embarrassed smile.

"Sorry 'bout that. You feelin' any better?" Anko asks, sitting down in a nearby chair to calm her throbbing head. Kurenai does the same.

"Yeah... Asuma had already passed once I got to the hospital... But I still shared my final words with him. I'm still recovering, but I'll manage."

Anko nods, something her head doesn't appreciate.

Kurenai notices her wincing, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah... Just a hangover."

Kurenai snickers, "If I told you once, I told you twice; drink water after every shot you take, that way you can still be drunk without the drawbacks of a hangover."

"Shut up, Kurenai." Anko groans.

Kurenai simply chuckles.

"Ugh... So how's the baby?" Anko asks, figuring that Kurenai might as well have checked up on her pregnancy while she was in the hospital. Kurenai told her that she was two months pregnant, so she isn't showing much just yet.

Kurenai gives a small frown, "Ehrm, the baby is fine..."

Anko nods.

Kurenai then clears her throat before hesitating to say, "Anko, can I get your honest opinion on something?"

Anko pauses and looks at her. Throughout all the years that the pair have known each other, Anko learned that the only time Kurenai sounded like this is when something was truly bothering her.

"Yeah... Of course you can."

Kurenai hesitates.

"...Do you think... I should... Go through with this pregnancy...?"

Anko eyes grew wide. She wasn't expecting Kurenai to ask such a thing.

"What the hell do you mean 'should I go through with the pregnancy'...?!"

Kurenai looks away, "Just hear me out... I mean... Asuma is no longer with me. So that means that my child will have to go through life without a father... And I'm not too sure I have the strength to provide for my child on my own... And I want my baby to live a happy life, not a miserable one with a struggling mother..."

Anko could only stare at her, "... Are you freaking serious, Kurenai...?"

The Genjutsu master says nothing, avoiding Anko's gaze.

Anko huffs and rubs her forehead. The situation is not helping the condition of her head.

"... Kurenai, throughout all the years I've known you, I've never heard such... bullshit come from your mouth, not even when your dad died. You're usually such a strong, confident kunoichi that's so sure of herself. And to hear you ask me something like this is just... Wow."

Kurenai still remains silent.

"Of course you should still go through with your pregnancy. I don't know what's gotten into your head, but you need some sense smacked into you."

"...I just want what's best for my child. And I just don't know if I'm strong enough." Kurenai mumbles.

"And you think taking the life from your child will be what's best for him? Or her?"

"...I just don't know, Anko... I don't know..."

Anko sits back and crosses her arms, "Well I know that you giving birth to that little brat forming in your uterus is the best thing you can give it. You're giving someone life, Kurenai. That's the best thing anyone can give to anyone. And-"

"But I'm not strong enough!" Kurenai half-yells with watery eyes. "I don't want my child to grow up unhappy! Not without their father!"

"What the hell do you mean you're not strong enough?!" Anko yells back, despite the slight blur of vision that her headache gives her due to this, "You're the strongest person I know! Stronger than Kakashi, Ibiki, me, even Tsunade! Your heart is made of pure gold, and I honestly look up to you because of it. And you're saying that you're afraid of taking care of that child on your own?! Have you forgotten that I'll always support you when it comes to anything?! I'm sure your squad will also support you, and so will that Shika-kid. So will Tsunade, Shizune, even Kakashi and every one in our graduating year will help you. You're not alone, Kurenai. Yes, it's your child, but you have loyal friends that will support you when you need it. We may not be a replacement of Asuma, but that child will have a great life and will grow up happy, I'll do everything in my power to make sure of that. I know Asuma would tell you everything that I'm saying right now, may he rest in peace. Even if you did have to take care of that baby by yourself, I know you'd be strong enough to prepare him or her for life, and be a great mother _and _a father figure for him or her."

Kurenai sinks back into her seat, registering Anko's words in her mind, "Stop doubting yourself, Kurenai. It's not like you. I got your back, always."

Kurenai darts from her seat and wraps Anko into a tight hug.

"Thank you, Anko..." She whispers, a tear falling from her red eyes. "You don't know how much that means to me..."

Anko hugs her back, "Anytime."

They remain in this position for a few more seconds until, "Okay Kurenai, you can get off me now... You know I'm not the sappy type. And you're cutting off circulation to the rest of my body..."

Kurenai chuckles and releases Anko, standing up straight, "Sorry."

"Yeah yeah, just stop crying. You look hideous and you're messing up your mascara." Anko teases with a smirk. Kurenai smiles and wipes her eyes.

"I knew it was a good idea to talk to you." She says.

"Of course. You knew it was a good idea because somewhere inside of you, you know I'd smack some sense into you. And since you kinda caught me in a bad mood, I almost mean that literally."

Kurenai laughs, however her smile soon disappears upon realizing something as she looks at her friend, "Wait, in a bad mood? You're hardly ever in a bad mood, even when you have a hangover."

Anko sighs, "It's a long story."

"I have time." Says Kurenai, sitting back down, "What happened?"

Anko really didn't feel like talking about it. But somewhere deep down, something told her to explain to get another opinion on the matter.

* * *

**_*Last night*_**

Naruto collapsed atop of Ino, but making sure that he wasn't dropping too much weight on her. Ino was just as sweaty and exhausted as Naruto. Their perspiring bodies made them sticky, giving an adhesive-like effect to their skin as they were chest to chest with each other.

Naruto's eyes were closed, as were Ino's, as they tried catching their breath.

Ino soon caught her breath and separated her legs from around Naruto's waist. She looked at him while he still seemed to be regaining his composure.

She wasn't sure what to say. She didn't plan on having sex with Naruto, nor has she ever imagined it happening. Everything happened so fast, it almost felt like it was out of her control, even though she was completely accepting Naruto's advances while making advances of her own.

"...Naruto...?" She whispered.

Naruto didn't even open his eyes, "I know."

"You... You don't even know what I'm about to say..."

"Yes, I do." He slowly opened his eyes and looked at her, "You were going to say that we shouldn't have done this..."

Ino said nothing.

Naruto sighed and got off of Ino, "Um, there's no shower in here, right?"

Ino sat up and pointed past him, "There is. Second door to your left after you turn right down that hallway."

Ino saw that Naruto was actually shocked to hear that, "This shop has a bedroom and bathroom here in the back. My dad had it built for me in case I didn't feel like walking home after closing."

Naruto nodded, then headed for the bathroom without another word.

Ino sighed and struggled a bit to stand on her feet. She wanted to cry. Surprises and unexpected moments in her life seemed to be coming at her left and right. She never would have dreamed of losing her virginity to Naruto. In the back of her flower shop, on the floor, and on various pieces of furniture and counters. She honestly didn't plan on losing it until she was married (preferably to Sasuke). Everything just happened so fast. She was starting to question exactly what she did have control over in her life.

However, that's not to say that Naruto forced or pressured her into doing it. She was just as guilty as him; she was not only just as enthusiastic as Naruto, but felt eager to go that far with him.

And she doesn't know why. She found that the only sensible cause was because of her raging hormones. But she couldn't shake off the feeling that there was another reason.

She was desperate.

Desperate for comfort. Between Sakura's and Asuma's deaths, she felt alone. Like a part of her was missing. Her mind and body was yelling at her to seek out the closest source of satisfaction and warmth, and she listened.

Now that her mind was a bit clearer, she realized that this wasn't the type of comfort she needed. Or at least not one to share with her deceased best friend's teammate.

Naruto soon exited the bathroom and found his clothing. He paused as he was putting his jacket on once he saw Ino's frown.

He stepped in front of her, "Ino-chan... I'm sorry, if I had known that we'd feel like this afterwords, I-"

She quickly looked up at him, "No no, Naruto, it's not your fault. I just... I don't know what's going on with my life. I feel like I'm losing control of everything."

Naruto sighed, "I know the feeling."

"...Was that your first time?"

"...Yeah. You?"

"Mm-hmm..." She hummed.

The room was quiet for a while.

"Does this mean that we're... together?"

Ino thought to herself for a moment before replying, "... Naruto, you're a great guy. Seriously, you are. But I don't think that... going that far would be smart. I think we're better off as just friends."

Ino was expecting him to be saddened by this, but to her surprise, he seemed relieved, "I feel the same way. I mean, it's not that I wouldn't... I mean you're a great person too, but..."

Ino gave a small smile, "It's okay Naruto, I know what you mean. I think it'd be best if we just forgot it happened."

"Yeah, I guess..." Naruto mumbled, unsure.

Ino stood up, covering her breasts, "Um... This is really awkward, but... Thank you, Naruto. I'm not thanking you for what we, er... just did, but I'm glad you took time out of your life to talk to me. The things I said in the beginning... I didn't mean it, I was just angry, full of emotion, and I-"

Naruto held her shoulders, giving her a small smile, "I know what you're trying to say. And I appreciate it." He gave her a peck on the forehead, "We're friends. We have to look out for each other."

"Yeah..." Ino murmured with a smile, "So... I'll speak to you later?"

"Of course." He said heading for the exit. But before he left, a sudden thought came to him, one that he felt he shouldn't vocalize. He sighed and put on one last fake smile, giving Ino one last wave, which she returned.

Once he was out of the store and the door closed, both blonde's smiles disappeared.


	9. Chapter 9

_**AN: I'll be writing the present tense from now on, for his story and for most of my other ones. Sorry for the confusion and/or irritation you guys may have had while reading due to me jumping around from past tense to present tense.**_

_**And for those of you wondering, yes, I will update Broken. Don't ask when, for not even I know the answer to that question yet, but it definitely will be updated soon. I've just had more motivation to work on this story lately.**_

* * *

Elsewhere, a deadly and powerful kunoichi begins to come to her senses. She groans as her brain reactivates, which gives her the mother of all migraines.

Memories come back to her as she wonders what happened. All she can remember is fighting two characters in black cloaks with red clouds imprinted on them. She remembers how they... wouldn't die. No matter what she did to them they kept getting back up...

She opens her eyes and finds herself in a room with white walls and white floors. She also realizes that she's in a hospital bed, telling by the beeping of her heartbeat sensor and the guard rails at the sides of her bed.

She drags her unfocused eyes up more, and is welcome to see a man wearing a green vest. Her eyes focuses a bit more, and she's able to make out the spiky ponytail and the Hitai-ate wrapped around his left arm.

_"Konoha-nin..._" She murmurs in her mind.

"You're finally awake." He says.

Yugito narrows her eyes and puts herself into defense mode, making sure not to trust this unknown person. She reaches near her hip for a kunai, but realizes that she's only in a hospital gown.

Nevertheless, she feels ready to defend herself if things begin to escalate, "Who are you? And where am I?" She demands.

Shikamaru chuckles dryly, "First off, relax. I don't have any intention to harm you, or threaten you."

She scoffs, _"Yeah, right..."_

"My name is Nara Shikamaru. And as it's kind of obvious to tell, you're in a hospital, being treated for your wounds and injuries."

She doesn't appreciate his tone, "Okay smart guy, since you know everything, why am I here? Are you working with those guys wearing black cloaks with red clouds on them?"

"No. We saved you from those guys. You blacked out while fighting them. Had it not have been for us, you'd probably be dead right now." He replies.

Yugito can see how that story adds up, but isn't convinced, "I don't believe you. Why would you guys save me? You're Konoha-nin, what can you possibly gain from helping me?"

Shikamaru sighs. He can tell that this woman will be troublesome, "It's not so much about what Konoha can gain from helping you, more like what the world can gain from keeping you out of the hands of those guys wearing those cloaks."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Shikamaru groans. Not only is he not in the best of moods at this point in his life, explaining things to people has never been something he particularly enjoys, "Those guys you were fighting? They're part of a strong criminal organization called Akatsuki. They hunt down and capture people like you for a specific purpose that is unclear to everyone except them."

She narrows her eyes, "What do you mean 'people like me'?"

He stares at her, "We know that you're a Jinchuuriki, the container of The Two-Tailed Demon Cat, to be exact. And the Akatsuki wish to acquire all Jinchuuriki to extract the Tailed Beasts from them, for a massive scheme that is likely to be destructive to mankind."

"That sounds like a big deal."

"It is."

"So how come no one in Kumogakure knows about this so called 'organization' if it's such a threat to everyone?"

_"Because everyone in Kumo are so ignorant to the world around them, I'm assuming."_ He almost says out loud, "Beats me, you guys should have been informed about Akatsuki capturing the One-Tails, who's container was the Kazekage of Suna."

"I heard he died."

"No, he's alive because of us. But he would have died by the hands of the Akatsuki had we not have shown up."

"But didn't you just say that this 'Akatsuki' group took the One-Tails from him? From what you're saying, I'm assuming that kills you."

"It does. We were too late to save the One-Tails, and the Kazekage had, in fact, died. But he was revived via a forbidden jutsu. Someone sacrificed their life to bring him back."

"I see." Yugito says. Her guard never dropped throughout this conversation, "I wanna say that you're full of crap, but this doesn't sound like something someone can just make up."

"Nothing is being made up here, I give you my word as a shinobi on that. We saved you because we don't want anymore Tailed Beasts to fall into the hands of the Akatsuki. I don't know how you guys over at Kumo never heard about Akatsuki, but they're dangerous. And if they get their hands on all the Tailed Beasts, all hell will break loose. They've already tried to capture our own Jinchuuriki, but failed."

"So you have a Jinchuuriki as well."

"Yeah. How are you not aware of these things?"

Yugito crinkles her nose, "We at Kumo like to worry about ourselves. We don't feel it's necessary to go worrying about matters that don't pertain to us."

Shikamaru rubs his head, "But don't you think that it's a good idea to keep an eye out for things? Look at you for example, I'm sure if you had intel on the Akatsuki, you'd be more prepared for that fight you had."

"Listen, if you have a problem with how things run in Kumo, then speak to the Raikage. He probably knows everything you just told me anyway." She says dismissively.

Shikamaru sighs, then shrugs, "Never mind. Anyway, you'll be checked up on by the Hokage in a few hours, then she'll decide if she thinks it's okay for you to leave bed rest. You'll be able to walk freely around Konoha. Under surveillance, and you'll be equipped with chakra suppressors, of course."

Yugito sneers, "Why don't you just let me go back home? You're not keeping me captive, or planning to interrogate me, right? 'Cause if you are, tha-"

"We're not planning on doing any of that. We plan to keep you here, safe in Konoha for now, and the Hokage will set an appointment to speak to the Raikage. The Akatsuki may try to capture you again if you go back out there, and-"

"Tsk, those Akatsuki guys only got me because I was off guard. I can handle myself if they try something again."

"Yeah, well, better safe than sorry. We don't want to risk the Akatsuki getting another Tailed Beast, so we'll keep you here safe and sound. And the Hokage really wishes to speak with the Raikage, so keeping you here will give him more of an incentive to set an appointment."

Yugito stares him in the eyes, "And what if I decide to just break out of here right now?"

Shikamaru gave an intrigued smirk, "Don't. We've held our own against the Nine-Tails and the One-Tail in the past, so I'm pretty sure we can handle the Two-Tails as well. That, and we've already went ahead to set seals on your chakra coils to make sure you didn't do anything dumb."

Yugito may be a confident and powerful kunoichi, but she's not stupid. She knows that her Two-Tails chakra could break out out of the seals placed on her, but she also knows risking death, and possibly sparking a war between Konoha and Kumo would be just plain unethical.

"Whatever."

The Shadow Manipulator gives a small chuckle and starts walking for the door, "The Hokage will see you in a few hours. Try not to be too much of a pain."

Yugito could only roll her eyes as she leans back into her bed's pillow.

* * *

"...Well?" Anko prompts, a bit annoyed from the awkward silence after she'd finished talking, "Say something!"

"... I still can't believe you... _did things_ with Naruto..." Kurenai mumbles with raised eyebrows.

"Shut up, Naruto may still be a Genin, but he's an adult just like us. Don't be so quick to judge because he's young."

"I'm not judging, I just don't think I'd ever date someone half my age..." Kurenai responds. A weird feeling washes over her for less than a second as she says that. "It'd feel like I'm dating one of my students..."

"Well, I don't care about that, he's a good guy... When he's not busy being a damn asshole." Anko grunts with crossed arms.

"I'm sure he didn't mean to hurt you, Anko. I may not know Naruto too much, but I know he's a very sincere person with no cruel intentions. He must be a good guy if my student Hinata is infatuated with him." Kurenai grins, "Whom, by the way, you may have competition with. Hinata has had her eyes on him for a long time."

"Bah." She spits, "Right now, I feel like she can have him. That no good, ungrateful little..."

"You don't mean that."

"Yeah, I do. What he did last night was a big 'screw you' to me. This is why I never open up to anyone."

Kurenai thinks for a second, "Hm... You said he had relations with someone else before meeting with you?" Anko nods, "Did he know that you had an interest in him beforehand?"

"Yes! Well... Maybe not, actually... I haven't really shown that I liked him until then... But still!"

Kurenai raises her hands defensively, "I'm not saying he's right for it, but at least give him a little credit for confessing before he went through with having sex with you. If he was really a jerk, he'd have told you afterwords, or even not at all."

"But I kissed him and even sucked his dick!"

Kurenai blushes, shaking her head rapidly, signaling her friend that that was _way_ too much information.

"Sorry... But you know that I'm not the 'dating' or 'hooking up' type of gal. I haven't had sex or kissed a guy in seven years! And I damn sure have never put a penis anywhere near my mouth until yesterday. I thought I was doing something special for him, but he ended up making me feel like a slut! Argh, I just wanna carve every letter of the alphabet in his chest with a kunai!"

Kurenai makes a gesture for her to calm down, "I can see why you feel his way. Did he tell you to do those things for him?"

"No, I did it on my own free will."

"Did he even make the first move on you?"

"No..."

"So basically, you were the one that started everything..."

Anko narrows her eyes, "Listen Kurenai, you're supposed to be my friend and side with me, not defend that little prick and make me feel like I did something wrong."

Kurenai chuckles, "I'm not defending him, I'm just keeping my view unbiased so I can give you proper advice. That's what friends are supposed to do." She says.

Anko rolls her eyes, she hates when Kurenai ends up being right, "Whatever. Okay, yes, I was the one that was pushing up against him first. Yes, I didn't even drop big hints that I liked him until we were both drinking. And yes, I did everything to and for him on my own accord. I realize this, but I can't help but feel like he's the dick in this situation." Anko admits.

"Well, I'm not saying that Naruto is completely right for doing what he did." Kurenai starts, "He could have told you earlier, before you, ehrm, did him that favor... And I'm not saying you're wrong for feeling hurt or having any negative feelings toward him. But I think you should cut him just a little slack."

"And why should I do that?" Anko retorts.

"Because, it's not all his fault. Yes, he's not really innocent for it, but he didn't know you had feelings for him when he had sex with whoever it was he had sex with. So it's not like he cheated on you, meant to hurt you, or just didn't care about your feelings. I don't know what kind of relationship he has with that other woman, but you did tell me that he said that they weren't dating, so I'm assuming that it was just a one-time thing, especially if he accepted your proposal to be committed to you. And, again, he did confess before you two both had sex, which means he has enough morality to feel that going that far with you after he just did it with someone else would be wrong. I'm sure he really cares about you if he was willing to do that, especially if he did it in the heat of the moment. Not to mention that you both were drinking."

"But I sucked his dick!" Anko exclaims again, making Kurenai uncomfortable, "I opened up to him, showed that I care about him, which is a big deal to me, considering I don't do that for a lot of people! And I was willing to put my heart on the line for him... So why did he hurt me...?"

Kurenai hasn't seen Anko cry since they were kids. Anko tries to hide it by burying her face into her palms, but it's fairly obvious that Anko is, not necessarily sobbing or bawling her eyes out, but just couldn't hold back the excessive liquid building in her tear ducts.

Kurenai walks over to Anko and wraps an arm over her, "He didn't mean to, I know he didn't." She says softly, "I'm sure he feels bad about it, thinking about you to this very moment. I know he probably wants to talk to you, and I think you should let him. Let him tell you what was going on in his mind, because I'm sure you didn't give him a chance to."

"Nope..." Anko mumbles through her hands. Kurenai chuckles.

"So next time you see him, don't carve the alphabet into his chest, just talk to him. I'm sure he likes you too, and wants things to work out."

For the next couple of minutes, only Anko's sniffles and Kurenai's small whispers of consolation fills the room while Kurenai rubs her back.

* * *

Naruto stops himself at Tsunade's office door and thinks to himself,_ "Okay... You were close to telling her about it yesterday, so there's no reason to be scared now, Naruto. Telling her the truth will be what's best..."_ He motivates himself. He takes a deep breath and knocks on the door, with Tsunade exclaiming 'Enter!' the next second. Naruto pushes past his hesitation and opens the door.

"Hello, Naruto-kun." She greets, apparently taking a break from paperwork, as she's standing in front of her desk, half-sitting on the hardwood furniture, "What can I help you with?"

Naruto swallows the lump in his throat, "Do you have time to talk?"

Tsunade nods slowly, he's never asked her this in the three years they've known each other, "Yeah, sure, Naruto. What do you want to talk about?"

The Uzumaki manages to push back his hesitation again, "I have a confession to make..."

At this, Tsunade's facial expression goes from mildly confused, to unreadable.

"You want to inform me that Sakura didn't die at the hands of Orochimaru on that mission a few days ago, don't you?"

Naruto wasn't ready to hear her say that.

"H-How do you... Did someone already tell you...?" He asks with his voice dripping with absolute shock.

Tsunade shakes her head, "I've inspected Sakura's body after you recovered her from your mission. There were two things that I noticed were off about the intel I received regarding how she was left in that condition. For one thing, Orochimaru, nor any of his summonings, seem like the kind to leave wounds like those upon her body. She seemed as if she were attacked by some kind of beast, not by a shinobi or a snake of any kind. And secondly, after further analyzing her, I found faint traces of the Kyuubi's chakra on her body and in her wounds."

Naruto tries hard to read Tsunade's face and tone of voice, to tell whether she's angry with him or not. But they both seem flat and unreadable, something that increases Naruto's heart rate a bit. But he closes his eyes and hangs his head upon realizing that Tsunade knew the truth all along, "... I'm sorry for not telling you earlier. I was scared, and I..." Naruto stops, letting his sentence die in his mouth.

Tsunade crosses her arms, "Naruto, you're not supposed to lie to the Hokage about anything. Your duty as a shinobi is to carry out tasks for me, and to report accurate and honest information afterwords. Lying to the Hokage can be seen as an act of treason, and treason is by no means acceptable, and can be punishable by a jail sentence, or even execution."

Naruto flinches, preparing himself for what's about to come. He had already disappointed Ino, Anko, and now Tsunade. Maybe it's about time karma comes for him already.

She unfolds her arms and looks at him sympathetically, something Naruto misses due to his hung head, "But, for you Naruto, I'll make an exception."

Naruto immediately looks up at her, "Huh?"

"I said I'll make an exception for you, since I know you didn't mean any harm by it. I know you were scared. I know it was an accident. And most of all, I know it wasn't your fault. You didn't kill Sakura, the Kyuubi broke free somewhat, and Sakura unfortunately happened to be it's target. I know you, Naruto, and I know you feel terrible because of what happened. Sending you to jail, exiling, and especially executing you is something I wouldn't be able to live with if I went through with doing such a thing. You're like my son, Naruto, and punishing you for something like that is something I can't see myself doing."

Naruto can't find what he wants to say for a while, "...B-But, what about the council? They'll definitely-"

"Screw the council." She spits, "If Danzo can get away with lying to me, then so should you. But since their numbers would likely outnumber mine, I feel it may be best if they remained ignorant to this situation."

Naruto smiles, "Thank you, Tsunade-sama."

Tsunade snickers, "It sounds weird for you to call me that. Just call me Baa-chan."

Naruto smiles and hugs his surrogate mother.

"I will, however, give you a warning." Says Tsunade after they separate, "Don't lie to me again. You can be honest with me, Naruto-kun."

Naruto nods, "Okay."

"Is that what you wanted to talk to me about yesterday? Before Ino stepped into the room?"

"Yeah."

"Speaking of Ino... Did you get to talk to her?" She asks.

Naruto nods and sighs, "Yeah, but I couldn't convince her not to quit. She's more stubborn than I am."

Tsunade frowns, "You did what you could, but in the end, it's Ino's decision. If this is really what she wants, then we'll just have to accept that."

"I guess..." Naruto mumbles, "I'll see you later, Baa-chan. I still have some training I need to do."

Tsunade nods, "Good luck."

* * *

**_*The next day*_**

The sunlight from the rising sun gently taps upon Naruto's eyelids, waking him up from his slumber. With his eyes still closed, he sits up in his bed and rubs his eyes. His body feels tired, and a bit run down, after all the training he did yesterday. And even though Kakashi warned him and suggested he resume his training another day, the exhaustion he feels right now paid off. He's only one step away from creating a new, original juts-"

"Holy shit!" Naruto shouts upon opening his eyes. "A-Anko...?!"

Anko, who's currently sitting on his bed beside him, gives him a smirk, "Good morning, Naruto-kun."

Naruto places a hand over his pounding heart, "Kami, Anko... You gave me a heart attack..."

He then realizes that Anko, is in his home.

_Anko._

The crazy snake lady who almost skewered him over dango a few years ago.

Who is also the person that he pissed off the night before yesterday.

And now she's here. Right next to him.

With a kunai in her hand.

"Err... Um, A-Anko, listen... Ah, about what happened that night... I-"

She places a hand over his mouth, giving him a mischievous smile that makes his hairs stand on end, "Sshhh... Relax, Naruto-kun. I'm not going to hurt you right now."

_"Right now..."_ He gulps.

"I just wanna talk to you, that's all." She says, smiling at the kunai in the hand that currently isn't over Naruto's mouth. Naruto's nervousness continues to increase every second Anko remains next to him.

"Now, I've been doing some thinking, and I've come to the conclusion that it wasn't fair to threaten you and kick you out of my apartment without letting you explain yourself. Especially since you were so honest as to tell me that you fucked some other women right before you were about to have sex with me." She tells him, twirling the kunai around her finger.

"O-Oh... Well, if all you want to do is talk, why do you have a kun-?"

"Don't worry about that. Now, I was ready to give you the time of your life. I may be a little old, and I may not have had sex in a little over seven years, but I am by no means rusty when it comes to showing a man a good time. But you had to go ahead and sleep with some other chick, prior to getting with me."

"But-"

"Now I'm not saying that all the blame goes to you. You are single, and you have a right to do whatever you please with whoever. And it's not like I made it easy, especially for someone like you, to see that I have an interest for you."

"...Are you calling me dumb?"

"Yes. Yes I am." She says, looking at him. "However... I put my feelings out there for you that day. Yes, I was drunk, and I probably wouldn't have done it if I was sober, mainly because talking about things like that ain't particularly my cup of tea. But I did mean everything I said. And while you accepted to be in a relationship with me, you allowed me to suck you off, one of the things that Anko Mitarashi has never done for another male in her life. And right before we were about to potentially break my mattress together, you decide to inform me that you had a piece of blonde tail beforehand. Now if it was a few weeks beforehand, or even a few days, I wouldn't have minded much. But it was literally a few hours before we came back to my apartment."

"Anko... I'm sor-"

"I mean, you gotta understand that in my mind, you made me feel like a whore for putting your penis in my mouth a few minutes beforehand, when another girl possibly did the same thing."

"I know, I'm sor-"

"And yeah, you did hurt me that night. And I don't get hurt often, if at all. So now you should understand why it'd be appropriate for me to carve my name into your chest with this kunai." She stops twirling the sharp object around her finger.

Naruto drops his nervousness, then lays back down onto his pillow, "...So do it."

"Hm?"

"I said so do it. If it'll make us even, I'll let you do it. I'll even do it myself if you want."

Anko chuckles, "So noble. I respect that." She says, "But if I wanted to hurt you, it would have happened already, Naruto-kun. If I really wanted to, I could have killed you as soon as you told me about you sleeping with that Yamanaka girl. Drunk or not, all I had to do was move that kunai I scratched your cheek with around two inches to the left, and bam, no more Naruto."

Naruto sweatdrops.

"But see, I didn't do it because I like you. Something told me that you didn't mean to hurt me. That I have no legitimate reason for hating you. And that's why I'm here right now, to get your side of the story, so we can have a better understanding of the situation. I'd be wrong if I didn't give you a chance to explain."

"Oh. So you just want my side of the story?"

Anko nods, "Yep. But before you do that, I have some questions that need to be answered."

"Er, okay."

"First question; what's your relationship with what's-her-name?"

"Her name's Ino. And we're just friends. Even though we did what we did, we decided that it was a mistake and that we should just act as though it never happened."

"Mm-hmm." She nods, "Okay, second question; did she suck you off, too?"

"H-Huh?! Why is that an important ques-"

"Did. She suck. Your penis. As well?" Anko repeats with a glare made of steel. Naruto gulps.

"N-No..."

Anko's cold glare then flips into a cheesy grin, "Good boy. Third question; Did you wear a condom?"

"..."

"...I asked you a question, Naruto."

Naruto looks at her, then looks away.

"...You're joking." She says flatly, "You slept with her raw?!"

Naruto flinches at her loud outburst, "S-She said that she was on that birth control jutsu thing!" Naruto testifies.

"No shit! Every kunoichi is ordered to be put on birth control while active! I'm not worried about her getting pregnant!" She suddenly points the kunai a half of an inch away from his neck.

"Aah! So what's the problem?!"

Anko tries to calm herself down a bit, "...Naruto, please tell me that you showered before you left that flower shop."

"Yes!"

She snaps her head back at him, pressing the blade against the side of his neck, "Are you freakin' lying to me?!"

"N-No!"

"I swear to God, if you're bullshitting me right now... I'll be damned if I get the taste of another woman in my mouth!"

"Anko, I'm not lying! I've never lied to you before, and I won't start now!" He pleads, feeling the blade sink deeper into his skin.

Anko looks at him, then smiles, "Good answer, Naruto-kun. I believe you. For now, at least."

_"...She's absolutely nuts...!"_ Naruto thinks to himself while watching Anko lick his blood of the kunai she cut him with. Her tongue glides against the sharp edge of it, possibly cutting her own tongue with it.

Despite this, "Anko, are you done with the questions? I really want to explain my side of the story..." He clears his throat, "If you don't mind, that is..."

She retracts her tongue back into her mouth and palms her weapon, "Okay. Get to explaining."

Naruto sighs, holding his now bleeding neck, "Okay... Yesterday, I went to go tell Tsunade the truth about how Sakura died. Before I got a chance to tell her, Ino came in and looked really depressed. Come to find out, her sensei, Asuma Sorutobi died. And I'm not sure if you know, but Sakura was Ino's best friend, she was probably closer to her than I was. So Tsunade talked to us about how loved ones can die when you least expect it. And after that, Ino comes out and says that she wants to quit being a kunoichi. I tried to convince her not to do this, but she had her mind set. I chased her out of the tower, and eventually got her to talk to me inside of her flower shop. We talked and talked about it, and I ended up trying to help her cope with Asuma's and Sakura's deaths... One thing lead to another, and... well..."

"You guys screwed." Anko finishes blatantly.

Naruto flinches a bit, "We were both hurting. I managed to help her feel better, just like how you helped me a few days ago. And, I don't know, it just... happened."

Anko stares at him blankly for a little over a moment, making him uncomfortable, "... I see."

The air becomes quiet for a while.

"...So..." Naruto mumbles.

"So, what?"

"I told you what happened... Now what?"

Anko doesn't respond right away, "Let me ask you another question."

"Okay..."

"Do you like me?"

"Y-"

"Now before you answer this question, I want you to seriously think about it. Do you really like me, the same way I like you? I'm willing to let that situation go, but first I want to see if we have mutual feelings for each other, because right now, I'm not so sure."

Naruto does as he's told and thinks about it, "... Yes, I do like you."

"Why?"

Naruto takes a deep breath, "Because, you're a really great person. You helped me, basically saved me, from a very tough time in my life. That's something I'll never forget. After the past few days of us hanging out and stuff, I began to see you in a new light. I used to think that you were scary, creepy, and just downright insane, and no offense, I still do, kinda..."

At this, Anko can't help but chuckle.

"But you're really nice. You're fun to be around, you give great advice, and you're not afraid to give someone a push when they need it. I feel like we can build something special if we were, I don't know, together..." He mumbles.

"... But you weren't thinking about that when you had sex with Ino."

Naruto frowns, "Anko, I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking about anything at that time. I know this is gonna sound lame, and it pretty much is, but my mind was blank, and my body kinda just moved on autopilot. We were both hurting, and I really don't know what got into me. It was a mistake, Ino and I both see that."

"And who's to say that another one of these 'mistakes' wont happen again if we do end up together?" Anko looks him right in his pupils, "You hurt me really bad last night, Naruto. And we aren't even together. So imagine how hurt I'd feel if it happens while we are together. I just-"

Naruto sits up and plants a kiss on her.

They don't know how long the kiss lasts, but they know it doesn't feel like the one they shared last night. It feels different, more meaningful.

They both depart, and look each other in the eyes.

For once, Anko finds herself speechless.

"It wont happen again." Naruto says, "I didn't know you liked me then. And if I did, I'm sure what happened between Ino and I would have never happened."

Anko finds herself having trouble gathering the words she wanted to reply with, something she's not used to, "I... Ahem... Y-You better not be bullshitting me..."

One of the rarest things to see in the world is to see Anko Mitarashi blush from embarrassment, something Naruto becomes a witness to today, "I'm not." He says with a small smile.

Anko's blush quickly fades away, and Naruto finds a kunai against his throat, "Because if you were to cheat on me... I would kill you."

Naruto sweatdrops, "That's a little extreme, don't you think...?"

Anko glares at him, "If you really want to date me, you'll promise me that you would never cheat on me. I know how you are with your promises."

Naruto stares directly in her eyes, "I promise. If I were to cheat on you, I give you permission to slit my throat with that kunai."

Anko continues to hold the blade up to his throat for a while, before lowering her arm.

She then kisses him, dropping the kunai onto the hardwood floor. She passionately connects her lips to his, threading her fingers in his gold locks.

She then moves her face away from his.

"...You're one of the first to ever get this close to me... Please don't make me regret it."

"I wont". He promises. The kiss then resumes, and soon, the new couples finds themselves on Naruto's bed, with Anko on top of him.

Her kisses move south, until they stop at his neck, where she licks and sucks up all the blood away from his wound and skin.

Naruto winces a bit, "T-That stings..." He mumbles as Anko sucks and licks his blood directly from the wound.

"Get over it." She replies with a grin before resuming. Naruto then rolls over, so that he's on top. He lifts his torso up and gives Anko a peck on the lips.

"So... Are we gonna pick up where we left o-"

"I'm on my period." Anko says.

Naruto pauses, "...Are you serious?"

Anko nods, "Yep. Found out this morning."

"...Are you lying to me?"

"No. Do you wanna check? It looks like a murder scene down there."

"That's absolutely disgusting."

"It's the female body, get over it."

Naruto hangs his head, something that makes Anko chuckle, "You've had enough action for one week anyway, lover boy. Besides, you deserve to wait. Think of it as your punishment."

Naruto can't help but laugh, "Okay, Anko-chan, I-"

She lightly smacks him, "You don't learn your lesson, do you? Boyfriend or not, you're still not allowed to call me 'Anko-chan'."

Naruto gets off of her, allowing them both to sit up, "Well, what about Anko-hime?"

"Definitely not."

"What about Honey?"

"No."

"Dear?"

"Nope.

"What about Babe?"

"...I'll think about it."

"Love?"

"Nuh-uh."

"Sweetie?"

"Hell no."

"Sugar dumpling?"

"...What."

"Baby cakes?"

"I'm gonna smack you."

"My little sweet cherry pie with whipped cream on top?"

"Get out."


End file.
